1960s Mint set question (liklihood of finding FS Jeffs)

bennyb

Hi,

As I've never examined Mint sets from the early 1960s, are the chances of finding FS Jeffs any better than going through original bank rolls?

Thanks for any info.

DennisH

Benny:

I asked this question when I started doing my Jeff set, and the answer I got was that the quality of Mint Sets was usually awful and the odds of finding nice coins (especially after years of other folks beating you to it) were enormous. This doesn't mean you shouldn't try, but don't get your hopes too high.

clackamas

The coins are just not common in anything rolls or mint sets. But I would think you odds are the same on a per dollar spent ratio. Rolls are going to be cheaper on a per coin basis but I think your odds are less.

FullStepJeffs

Well, first of all... If I haven't said it before... Welcome to the boards...

I think your first goal should be to get the book "The Jefferson Nickel Analyst" by Bernard Nagengast.

He states on page 60:

"Note for 1960-67 issues:

Many of the P and D mint issues of 1960 through 1967 show five steps at the right side of Monticello, but the steps will not connect to the left side of the stairs. This is unlike previous issues which almost always have coneected steps at each side, the missing area being below the second pilar from the right. By now, the master hub is showing extreme wear, and the steps are unusually shallow. Six step coins probably do not exist for most dates, except on proofs."

IMHO, most of the P mints for the early 60's can be found with five steps or more, however, the D mints are extremely hard to find with steps, if you could find them at all. I think the possibility of finding quantities of high grade 5 step coins in early 60's mint sets are slim at this point.

Many people first starting out in this series think the 60's are the best place to start looking for full step coins, however, I think you'll soon find out that the 60's are probably one of the hardest decades to find 5 full step coins at all, whether you search mint sets or bags... either way... Good Luck! To prove my point, how many of the following dates (60-D, 61-D, 62-D, 63-D, 65MS, 66MS, 67MS, 68-D, 69-D) have been graded as MS65FS by PCGS? And are there any of those dates graded higher than MS65FS by PCGS? Anybody? Anybody?

Okay the answer is: (drumroll please)

Coins graded MS65FS by PCGS:

60-D... ZERO
61-D... ONE
62-D... ONE
63-D... TWO
65MS... ONE
66MS... ONE
67MS... ZERO
68-D... ZERO
69-D... ZERO

And none in any of the previously mentioned dates grade higher... ZERO

So, out of a few billion coins minted... a whole 6 coins are graded MS65FS by PCGS.

Again, I say... GOOD LUCK! I'm patiently waiting for the pop reports to be busted wide open... I hope you can do it...

Steve

lonelyp

You don't mention 1964. Is that because the pop is high?
My eyes aint what they use to be even with a glass. But I think I may have just possiblely, Full steps 64 68 and 69 S mint coins.
Paul

FullStepJeffs

Paul,

1964 pop is 25 in MS65FS with 3 higher... a ballpark $600 coin (from the last three auctions I've seen)

The 68-S also has 4 in MS64FS, 4 in MS65FS with 3 in MS66FS... no MS65FS coins sold last year, but a 66FS sold for $4140 with the juice included.

And if you've got a 69-S in full steps... as long as you can get into a PCGS holder, there are some people lurking about that will take it off your hands really fast... because, once again, there are no mint state full step coins that currently exist in PCGS holders... It might possibly be one heck of a bidding war I'd love to see. But, you can forego all of those problems and just send the coin to me...

Edited to say... Paul... make sure your coins are mint state... and not proofs... just a friendly warning... and post some pics of those coins... I'm sure some would give you their opinion.


Steve

Russ

In the 1960's they didn't use the reverse dies with steps. They used the ones with a wheelchair ramp.

Russ, NCNE

stephunter

"In the 1960's they didn't use the reverse dies with steps. They used the ones with a wheelchair ramp."

SmallSizedGuy

While most mint set nickels are not the best of quality, my best 1969-S nickel has most of the steps and came from a mint set. The coin is also semi-PL and well struck. The coin is an early strike, and came from a mint envelope where a 1968 date on the envelope was blocked over in black ink and reprinted with 1969! Obviously an early mint set for 1969.


BTW, FullStepJeffs, thanks for your Jeff prices! I haven't had much time to look your info over, but I can tell you put a lot of time into your listing!

FullStepJeffs

Not trying to hijack this thread, but Thank You for the comments about the price guide... 500 hours probably atleast went into the price guide as it stands. I think it will be really good after this year, but who knows.

Again, I'd love to see the pop reports explode on the 60 dates with full steps... it's probably the only way I'll ever be able to afford one. However, when all the dust settles in another 20 years, I think the pops will still be extremely low for most of these dates, however, I really hope I'm wrong.

I've tried repeatedly to get all the big boys and girls (dealers) with their bags of Jeffs in the back rooms collecting dust to go through them (or for that matter contact me and I'll do the work for them for a percentage... hint, hint), but the amount of bags I've looked through (less than 10 mint sealed $200 bags, with others obviously already raped) tells me the 60's dates are very tough.

Clackamas talked recently about how many mint sets he went through to find his 68-S Full Step coins (off the top of my head... 7,000 I think)... How many did he find? I think 2 or maybe 3... Clackamas... chime in here will ya?

Steve

bennyb

Wow!

Thanks for all the info everyone.

Looks like my quest for a top notch birth year set (1963) will be tougher than I thought.

I'll bet a lot of board members have been checking out their '60s Jeffersons today.

FullStepsJeff, look for a PM. And thanks from me too for the lengthy and informative response.

clackamas

<< <i>
Clackamas talked recently about how many mint sets he went through to find his 68-S Full Step coins (off the top of my head... 7,000 I think)... How many did he find? I think 2 or maybe 3... Clackamas... chime in here will ya?
Steve >>



Steve, it was 1800 1968 mint sets that yielded 2 MS FS 1968-S Jeffs, I do have a few more at PCGS and think one will go 64/65FS and a possible 66fs (but now I am just dreaming) from the bunch, but that is it. A couple of ohhh so dang close 68-D's but nothing that the services will call FS. I do have probably 2 rolls of dang near FS 68-S's but they way they get struck you get many, many 6646 coins that just don't cut it.

cladking

The pre-'65 mint sets seem to generally be nice examples of regular production coins. These
are usually struck from newer dies and often will have less marking but they are very similar
to what you'd find in good rolls. The later mint set coins will not only be struck from new dies
but will usually be good strikes. Marking won't necessarily be much better. The die pressure is
higher on mint set coins for these later issues and they are struck on vertical presses. In many
cases it is very difficult to find regular issue coins with the same quality of strike.

Lest anyone get the idea that 2 of every 1800 '68-S mint set nickels is FS, keep in mind that high
quality coins get issued in bunches. An original lot of '68 mint sets will contain nickels struck near-
ly consequtively from the same die pair. While these aren't extremely difficult to find PL they are
tough with a lot of steps.

FullStepJeffs

Clackamas,

My bad... and Alzheimers setting in... Thanks for the reminder... note to self... 1800 already gone through.

Cladking... another exceptionally informative post... however, maybe it was just the bags of 66's I looked through that made me think the mint was trying to save on their electricity bill from the lack of pressure exerted on the planchet. Maybe it's the hoarding of all the good ones I'm sure there are some within this forum have lying in wait. Heck, maybe it's the fact that I dont get to the big coin shows ever and I just haven't seen them... but, I digress.

Also, I wrote this in another rant about these nickels a few months back or so... I've added it here for your amusement:

From what I keep hearing from the huddled masses in this forum is that these coins certainly aren't rare... so I put it to you all... find me a coin from the following and I'll offer the same offer I wrote in another rant here recently... that rant is listed here... my answer is at the bottom. Something tells me I might have to sell a kidney to get more money available to up my offer. Wonder how much a psycho wife would get?

Steve