Why does a 1942-D Jefferson cost so much in a PCGS MS66FS holder??

keets

I've started threads about this in the past and it still baffles me as to why a 1942-D Jefferson Nickel in an MS66FS PCGS holder is as expensive as it is. Evidentally it's a demand thing, so I beg the answer to my question..........Why does everybody want this coin?????? Let's look at a comparison to a few dates in the series.

1942-D-----316 graded MS66FS/sells on eBay between $75-$125.
1946-D-----185 graded MS66FS/sells on eBay for under $50.
1950-D-----153 graded MS66FS/sells on eBay for under $100.

There are plenty of other dates in the series which have a lower number, some much lower, graded by PCGS as MS66FS which sell for on eBay for only slightly higher than a 1942-D. It just makes no sense to me why that date is bid so high. I've been quoted the price of rolls for the date, been told it had a low mintage and a few other explanations, but they just don't make sense given the number available in the grade assigned.

So tell me, why does everyone want the coin?? Why are they willing to pay such a steep premium?? Will I ever have the date in my collection?? Why doesn't it cost less than $50 like it should in accordance with it's graded counterparts in the series??

And last but not least, if you own a PCGS graded 1942-D holdered at MS66FS, how much did you pay and when did you buy the coin??

Thanks.

Al H.

haletj

Well, probably more people send in 42-d's for grading since they cost more... and people bid more just because of its status as a key date... but give it time... someday the prices will trend to go more along the lines of the pop-reports and the real keys in gem will be worth a lot more.

Edited to add: My 42-d I bought as a raw "BU" for $42. Actually is a very nice gem. Not FS though.

keets

pleas explain to me it's status as a "key" date.

al h.

haletj

It and 39-d have the lowest number of BU rolls, or BU coins saved in the series.

keets

i know that, but it's 1960's Red Book collecting mentality. since the date was seen as a low mintage early on, it was saved in large quantity and has the resultant higher availability in better gardes.

al h.

coinkat

keets:

I think that sometimes pop reports can create an illusionary effect and this date may be an EXCELLENT example. If a date is highly sought after and has value, there will be more submissions. Look at the 1938-D Walker and its surviving UNC pop and compare that to the 1937-D and 1937-S. I think the 1942-d has had more submissions, as the 1938-d Walker.

haletj

Actually I have no idea... I know 50-d was saved because people knew of the low mintage, but I had thought 39-d and 42-d just were the least saved dates regardless of mintage. Maybe I'm wrong. I think 39-d and 42-d's were really well made coins and a roll yields mostly gems so that is why they are more common in gem.

haletj

Weren't people in 1939 concerned with saving Buffalo Nickels, and didn't care about the 2nd year of the new Jeffersons, and in 1942 they were saving the silver nickels and the nickel 42's got overlooked?

Cladiator

FS = BS

moosesr

Maybe some people are hoping to get lucky and find a D over Horizontal D coin.

keets

hey coinkat

the walker is a good example for exactly the same reason. it was seen as a low mintage issue shortly after minting and saved for that reason. now it has plenty of fine unc's available that are priced higher than i think they should be just because of the low mintage. it isn't a true reflection of the way it should be---JMHO.

al h.

DennisH

Keets:

Grey Sheet "Ask" price for a BU roll of 1942-Ds ($1375) is the second highest in the Jeff series, second only to 1939-D ($2800).

That gives it a high basal value of $34+ in MS60-1-2-3, so maybe $75+ for a really nice one with full steps doesn't sound like too much of a premium to people.

By comparison, a roll of 1946-D is $77 and 1950-D is $630.

beartracks42

Al,

I happen to believe that all 42 coins are special and hard to obtain because it was a very good year. Most all of the people, like me, who are 62 years young, have the same opinion.

idocoins

I paid $99.05 for mine, nice clean fs

ChuckC

Perhaps people desire it for it's unique characteristics, i.e. it's silver, it's wartime, and it's got a big ol' D on the back which creates the illusion of more value relative to other Jeff'ns

keets

hey Chuck

1942-D is not a silver composition coin.

..........and Dennis, we've been down this thought path before. i fail to understand how the BU roll price of a coin relates to it's availability in a given holdered grade. it's quite clear that the price is driven by demand, not by availability. what i'm curious about is why collectors want the coin. it seems clear that it isn't Jefferson set collectors who want it or they would be needing the other issues also, the ones that have lesser numbers in the same grade.

by comparison, 1939-D is quite expensive in rolls and is very tough in higher grades such as MS66FS, so the increase seems justifiable. the 1939-D also has the two reverses to consider which brings me to the only plausible reason why the roll price for 1942-D might be as high as it is, D/Horizontal D hopefulls. that doesn't explain the holdered price.

i'm of the opinion that it's caused by a demand for the coin fueled by collectors who are greysheet lambs being led to their shearing. the same happens with the silver/war Jeffersons. the prices are way out of line with what a comparable non-silver issue pop coin sells for in the same grade. i watched a 1942-S PCGS MS66FS sell for over $300 this evening. that's a pop 79 coin!!!!!

this is getting worse as the series heats up but it doesn't seem to me that it's set collectors or set builders that are buying the coins.

al h.

DennisH

Keets:

I'm not trying to justify... just offering a possible explaination.

Why people spend their money the way they do is up to them. But you asked why, and I offered a theory. That and a buck is worth... a buck.

solid

I paid $82 for mine more than four years ago, which was the going rate at the
time. High prices are not a recent trend for this issue.

I believe demand is fueling the prices. Collectors have it in their heads that
this is a key date. It also comes very nice, with booming luster and often
six steps, so it makes a nice type coin.

It's also possible that the MS66FS pops are somewhat inflated due to crackouts
and resubmissions. You wouldn't get rich doing it, but the last few 67FS coins
on Heritage sold for $632.50, $258.75, $402.50 and $310.50. Since these do
come so nice, folks might be tempted to send a good one in economy once or
twice looking for an upgrade.

Ken

P.S. I'd wager my icon 50-D would bring more than $100 on ebay

ChuckC

OHHH 1942 DDDDD....whoops! I knew that just testing the forum to see if they knew.

stephunter

I bought a Pcgs 42-D 66FS in June of this year at Heritage for $81.00 with fees and sales tax. I agree with Keets on the population count/value of this coin. I am trying to get as close as I can to put together a 65fs set, but for the difference in price on a 65FS vs. 66FS I decided to get a 66 for this one. Also, on the war nickels I think they are way overpriced for their population counts, but I'm sure they have more demand as some collectors that do not want to put together a full set of nickels may just want to put together the war years as kind of a type set. Speaking of 42 D/D, I am a little excited about this recent purchase.

DennisH

D/horizontal D... CHA-CHING!!!

Numismanic

42d in 66fs is nice, but I like my ms67

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