1954-S Jefferson 5C With Full Steps - How Rare?
FredWeinberg
Posts: 5,930 ✭✭✭✭✭
Is there a website I can go to that shows rarity/values
for Jeff. Nickels? Specifically, an 1954-S........any help appreciated
Retired Collector & Dealer in Major Mint Error Coins & Currency since the 1960's.Co-Author of Whitman's "100 Greatest U.S. Mint Error Coins", and the Error Coin Encyclopedia, Vols., III & IV. Retired Authenticator for Major Mint Errors for PCGS. A 50+ Year PNG Member.A full-time numismatist since 1972, retired in 2022.
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I don't know much of these. But PCGS thinks they are worth something.
65 and above is worth some cash. Is it graded?
Very high value according to CoinFacts.
https://www.autismforums.com/media/albums/acrylic-colors-by-rocco.291/
Let's see it!
Collector, occasional seller
Yes, website is Coinfacts. Lol.
Wondercoin.
P.S. I bought and sold the MS67FS a couple times as well as a few of the undergrade FS coins, if you need a little help pricing whatever you have Fred.
Wondercoin
It's a big deal and probably the first identified as hard to come by with full steps, back in the late 70's a dealer ran an ad in greysheet offering $50 bucks for one for a few months, and word was he had no takers at the time, A dealer friend of mine sold me a nice roll a few years later and there were about 5 out of it that I would consider full step and I sold them off of numerous bid board's we had in the San Fernando Valley at the time and I was getting like $20 bucks each at the time in the early 80's, To Bad we didn't have PCGS around at the time but they didn't start attributing the Full Step designation until about 2000, But the 54s has held its scarcity since those days, and I believe will continue to do so...........................Love to see a picture of it
Steve
I'll give you my five cents worth. The pop1/0 coins in 66FS and 65+FS have shown up in auction the last few years. They reside in the Registry #2 (Hansen) and #3 sets, respectively. However, with a pop of 9, a 65FS coin has not shown itself at auction in over 10 years. I can find only 2 65FS coins in all of the top registry sets. Corso #5 has owned one forever, and there is one in the #7 set.
I made the third or fourth (I think) PCGS 65FS coin maybe 15-20 years ago. Found it in a double mint set, and it still resides with the set. What I do recall from years ago is the PCGS pop going from around 2-3 to up to 7 very quickly. No coins appeared in public at the time, couldn't find anybody who knew of them, so I concluded that some resubmissions occurred that bloated the pop numbers. The pop of 65 FS has taken 10 years to go from 8 to 9 - don't know if it is a new coin or an upgrade.
The rarity of the 54-S is no secret, as OldEastside said, it was identified as a key back in the 1970's, so folks have been looking for them for a long time.
Some of the existing 54-S FS coins are the result of some unusual circumstances. My coin appears to be double struck and has a very distinct wire rim. I saw two other FS coins years ago with the same look. The 67FS coin appears to have wire rims. I think it took some unusual event at the Mint to make some of these FS coins. Higher strike pressure; planchets adhering; something unusual. There was a Coin World article many years ago that addressed this topic.
I think the 54-S FS Jeff is even rarer than the pops indicate.
Fred,
Here's a link to PCGS CoinFacts with a list of the top graded and some auction prices realized.
http://www.pcgscoinfacts.com/Coin/Detail/84054
I've owned 3 ANACS graded examples, sold two, tried to cross one but they all had poor strikes. The following is the best example I'm aware of although it's short one quarter step.
Here's one with remarkable clean surfaces.
Here's another with color. The coin above and below have less than a full strike.
And a crappy one.
Leo
The more qualities observed in a coin, the more desirable that coin becomes!
My Jefferson Nickel Collection
Good Morning all -
Thanks for those replies. I just got in,
and will read them all in a few moments.
I do appreciate the info, and I'll come back
with why I asked.
A lot of interesting info - thanks.
I ask, because I bought in an ICG holder,
a nice 1954-S Nickel, struck 20% Off Center.
It had full strong steps, imo - I'm not the
Nickel Variety Specialist, certainly not a
FS specialist at all, but this coin has very
strong full steps.
I'm familiar with the striking phenomenon
of Full Band 1945 Merc. Dimes on Off Center
Strikes, but I just don't recall seeing such
nice full steps on the earlier (pre-1956 or so)
Off Center or other Error type Jefferson Nickels.
No, I can't post photos, (we tried about 5 years ago
with no luck), but I can email some photos to
who might be interested in seeing the coin.
(don't know if I can put out my email address or
not - proper?, but hopefully you guys know it.
Fred,
AFAIK, no TPGS pays attention to the BL, Bands, or Steps on Mint errors. I don't even look. Sort of like leaving off the "designations" on Proofs. Some of these clips, broad strikes, and off-center coins have unbelievable strikes in the centers while the rest of the coin is very weak. Nevertheless, I'd prefer any mint error to have the best strike possible. Seems you have one.
I would put a designation on an error coin at the customer's request but not on a proof.
I realize the band/steps/bells aren't as
important on errors, but for some reason
I noticed they are full and strong (imo) on
this particular "S" mint, so I was wondering
how unusual it is, as a normal coin; if FS
on this date makes the normal coin worth
$1,000, for example, the coin would have
to be discounted to sell it to an error collector.
By the way, it's a PCGS MS-62 - looks much
nicer, but there appears to be 'slide' marks
on Jefferson's face.
I was a member of PAK, the Full Step Jefferson NIckel club, back in the 80's. The 54-S in FS was already known then as a significant rarity. There are 54-S with full steps but an otherwise very soft strike. PAK wouldn't allow any of these coins to go into one of their club auctions as being a legitimate 54-S FS rarity.
What I do recall from years ago is the PCGS pop going from around 2-3 to up to 7 very quickly. No coins appeared in public at the time, couldn't find anybody who knew of them, so I concluded that some resubmissions occurred that bloated the pop numbers.
Yup. There is a Dealer in Chicagoland that is a VERY persistent resubmitter, and IIRC the 54-S FS was one of his targets. He eventually made a 66FS or 67FS, I forget which it was.
I'll NEVER understand how/why this works. It is either a FS or not! Send it in as many times as you like as nothing should change.
I do understand how other "designations" change. Take FBL. All of a sudden a top TPGS decided that the top lines no longer were important for the designation.
You are not alone. The inconsistencies with the "full step" designation makes me crazy!!!
Fred, I'm sure that the metal flow of off center Nickels causes the coin to have FS....just like the off center 1945-P Mercury's almost always have Full Bands.
You might have stated in your OP the coin was struck 20% Off. Wasted my time posting superior examples for you to compare your coin to..........oh well. But here's an off-centered 1949 with 6 steps. It seems whenever there's less of a planchet area/size to absorb/withstand the full tonnage applied, it's actually was much greater, the metal flow will reach (get squeezed into) the step area of the reverse die. Less tonnage is used for dimes than used for nickels, same principle.
A similar effect applies to the 54-S posted above. Because the ear details and hair near the ear did not fill out/strike up, the metal that should have flowed into that area was forced into another location on the coin, the steps.
And a misnomer is a term used when a coin has been incorrectly graded.
Leo
The more qualities observed in a coin, the more desirable that coin becomes!
My Jefferson Nickel Collection
A few off center standing liberty quarters also have monster Full Head; nonetheless, any error standing liberty quarter is scarce
Interesting... I am not a Jefferson nickel collector and did not realize the scarcity of the '54S FS coins...something to look for in old mint sets. Cheers, RickO
Leyothelyon - mea culpa - I purposely didn't mention
it was an error in my title and first post, and a few
after that. I just wanted an idea of how rare the
FS was on this date/mm, and then take the error
into consideration.
Didn't mean for you to spend time searching and
posting normal coins with FS, but the photos of
those steps were very helpful, and I thank you for them.