Jefferson Nickels Graded Full Steps By PCGS

Here is the link.....if this conflicts with CC policy, feel free to delete and I apologize in advance. (moderator)

http://www.PCGScoinfacts.com/Coin/Detail/4003

OK...so.....TheNickelGuy....in what year did the definition of full steps evolve/change? No argument here...just trying to understand the grading system. My understanding was that all steps had to be present with no dings that involved/crossed over more than one step. I also understand that a coin can get a high MS rating without full steps being present. I am just curious, my main concentration has been on Jefferson's lately.

OK...another 1941 good looking coin graded FS66....But.... to my knowledge it does not qualify because of the ding between 4 and 5, and no 6 due to wear that makes the middle flat. Again, I emphasize that I am no expert but there is a huge discrepancy in grading qualifications on Full Steps.

The wavy steps were the design of the die in 1938 and some of 1939 when they changed it later in 1939 for more detail.
That's just the way they are. It is accepted that FS on a 38 will not look like the steps on that 1941.
The die is just not made that way. Now we can't let the poor old 1938 out of the club now can we?
So we look at that reverse a little differently. There are sharper and weaker and worn with less.
There are 6 steps on the nickel. Having 5 full steps is acceptable to be designated as a FS.
A grading company may or not designate that 1941 with FS.
If it were mine, I would wish they would. If I were buying it, I would probably argue that it was not.
We all like to see what we want to see. I think that the 1941 would technically be out because of that interrupted nick. If it weren't there, maybe it would have 5 and a half FS.

Of course the best way to understand which nickels are tougher than others besides looking at a million of them, is probably to take a look at the Numismedia link on MS Full Step Jeffersons.
Look at the high values for MS65 1953S 54S 63D 69D etc. You can tell by the prices which ones are harder to find. This tells which ones are good to "cherry pick" too.
Here's a link to it. http://www.coinprices.org/cgi/usrar...&search7=any
I have a book that tells you about each date and mint mark and FS step availability with some older values.
A Guide Book of Buffalo and Jefferson nickels
by Q. David Bowers, Bill Fivaz
I read it over and over. Google that.
Nickels are the best!
Another thing to remember is that a nice 1953 S with 3 full steps in MS63 might be worth more than a higher MS 1953 S with none. They do say, that FS doesn't count if the coin is not MS.
I personally think that someday, people will be glad to have a eye catching AU55 1969 D for example with 4 steps, and they will command a premium over some common uncirculated 1969 D with the mushy Monticello risers.
That's just my theory.

I am glad that was helpful. Have fun and good luck in your findings.

I'm working on it right now. BRB

Oh and indeed your 1939 is a type two with the non wavy steps or the reverse of 1940 and thereafter.
I read someplace recently that full steps was even mentioned in the 1940's when describing a good strike.
They would describe a coin with good detail in the steps.
In the early 1970's three guys got together and started the PAK full step nickel club.
One of them was a cantankerous old German whom many did not get along with.
His name was Adolf Weiss. Thus the "A" initial in PAK.
Lucky for me he took a liking to me. He liked if you listened and learned and he was no nonsense about that.
A few of us used to meet at a house in the kitchen of one of our local coin club members. I was a fortunate guest on quite a few occasions. We would be up almost all night because when Adolf Weiss came to visit from Montclair NJ and you better pay attention and stay awake.
He also knew a lot about doubled die and rpms on the Jeffersons. He knew a lot about other coins of course but we just concentrated on nickels. They used to get mint sewn bags and look at every nickel constantly.
There were always a few bags of nickels laying around. LOL
I wish we would have kept a couple of those 1982 P and 1983 P bags.

Anyway, PAK faded away in the later 80's and was replaced by simplified and newer guidelines by FSNC.
( Full Step Nickel Club )
I think they faded out in the mid 2000's but I never was involved in that. Maybe it's still active, I don't know?
PAK used to divide the sections of steps into 24 sections. 6 x 4 = 24 points.
4 being the quarter spaces under the pillars. 6 being the steps.
It was too complicated. FNSC set new guideline or the professional graders did, I don't know which came first, the chicken or the egg, but now I think step counting is determined more like what I described above.

If you are a full step nickel collector, it doesn't make gem BU nickels any less worth having. It is just a specialty within the hobby. It wasn't always in price guides that "nickels with full steps command a higher price". Anyway Adolf was a friend of mine. I think he made a mistake with the full step nickel community and done them wrong when he just disappeared with all the club holdings. The "P" and "K" of PAK bailed out long before that and near the end and Adolf was pretty much the president and authority. It was kind of sad.
I got to mingle with big names at coin shows knowing him.
All I can find on him is this little blip on the internet. There used to be more info but it seems lost.

Employed by Sportswear International Co. One of the founders of the PAK Jefferson Full Step Nickel Club on April 1, 1977. PAK represented the first names of Phillip Petrillo, Adolf Weiss and Karl Neninger. He left New Jersey and withdrew from contact in the 1980's. He died in Portland, Oregon.

Date of Birth: 1921 Feb 04
Date of Death: 1998 May 21