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 Replies: 12 / Views: 985 |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
6476 Posts |
I would like to think that I have become reasonably proficient in nickel varieties over the past two years. This particular 1964-D/D nickel (FS-501) just drives me batty. The plate coins on PCGS don't even have the mint mark in the same position on all coins. I don't even understand what is meant to be interpreted as doubling on this variety. Is it the little slanted line inside the D? It's such a weak variety overall—and by far not even the strongest RPM for 1964-D—but mint state examples command $1000+. Can somebody spell out specifically what we are meant to search for on this RPM? https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin...fs-501/38527http://www.varietyvista.com/05%20JN...4DRPM005.htm |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1246 Posts |
 Somewhere I've read that the '64 RPM's are easy to spot / hard to find. I question that statement!!  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1791 Posts |
I'm not good with RPMs but even I can see that the position looks different. I looked at Wexler's to see if there was one similar to the Trueview and I think WRPM-002 has a similar location but the behind the vertical bar of the D seems different. The scratches that are used as markers in the obverse aren't there but it looks like the small gouges out from Jefferson's upper lip are there. The reverse die marker also seems to be there. I also think the PCGS nickel is a later die state than what's on Wexler's. Of course, I am probably way off base on this. Since I had the DDR quarter that was extremely similar ro a VV listing but actually wasn't a match (per Tanman), I've wonder how many misattributed coins might be out there due to a lack of die markers shown. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
8738 Posts |
Not sure what going on here. A pic of VV's and the example you linked from PCGS. These two are not the same die, location is off. Odd that Wexler does not list an FS-501 too. The VV example is to the south as far as the RPM goes.  -makecents-
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Pillar of the Community
United States
8738 Posts |
I also noticed what you were talking about with PCGS. The plate coin and the MS65 example are the same location, the other MS66 is different.
-makecents-
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1246 Posts |
Quote:
I looked at Wexler's to see if there was one similar I had done the same, but, none were even listed as D/D South! (Not that that necessarily matters completely) But I am horrible with RPM's. I keep looking and trying to figure them out, but, I've got a long way to go! |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
6476 Posts |
I had noticed that sometimes Wexler and Variety Vista list opposite directions for the same RPM. Make of that what you will. This particular RPM is frustrating because the VV/CONECA entry lists no markers, and Wexler doesn't seem to have an entry at all (or it is not cross-referenced, which does happen). The five PCGS plate coins show multiple different die, including mint mark position and markers. This is the CPG entry, which just seems to be the CONECA entry:  Edit: maybe it isn't the VV entry, that spot on the building edge doesn't match. Edited by Brandmeister
12/18/2025 4:04 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4395 Posts |
FS-501 is not listed in Wexler's files. We just don't have it.
About half of the FS-501s pictured on PCGS are misattributed. I don't know what RPM the PCGS plate coin is if it's even an RPM at all.
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Moderator
 United States
95254 Posts |
I wouldn't trust PCGS - if they got the wrong attribution, or the submitter got it wrong and PCGS didn't check on it and just went with what was told.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1259 Posts |
Gosh.. This is exactly why I stopped searching for RPM's..
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6476 Posts |
Bizarrely, two of the plate coins don't even have valid cert numbers, and one leads to a Chinese coin. Possibly the numbers are obfuscated to prevent reference. These are the valid ones: https://www.pcgs.com/cert/83520039https://www.pcgs.com/cert/44347100Tanner, thanks for clearing that up. While I could be convinced that a couple of those plate coins are RPMs, the others just look puffed up from Die Deterioration. It just seems weird that a prominent RPM like that would have no supporting markers or additional die state information on Variety Vista. I still find the price of this variety shocking and somewhat bonkers. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6476 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6108 Posts |
Given how the varieties are pretty much some of the most expensive coins in any series, it boggled my mind that PCGS is so bad at it. I just got back an obvious 1938 D/S FS-515 Buffalo nickel which they declined to put the variety on the label. I have to send so many coins back to them it's not just frustrating it's infuriating. Getting the grades back on your most expensive coins should be exciting, not depressing. |
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Replies: 12 / Views: 985 |
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Posted 12/18/2025 3:04 pm
