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Is it just me, or...
I was just wondering, is it just me, or does it seem like a large percentage of P mint nickels IN 1955 - 1958 MINT SETS are in late die states, and look like they've been in knife fights? The silver and copper P mint coins, as well as the D mint nickels, produced during those years that end up in Mint Sets seem to have the normal bell curve of die states and nicks/dings etc., but it sure seems to me that P mint MINT SET nickels from those years are generally in pretty bad shape. Has this been your experience?
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55-62 are very poor most of the time. Not sure why quality was an issue.
I've just sold a bunch from that era and you'd swear that some of the nickels were VF's. Just horrible especially on the obverse. Reverses weren't worth bragging about either.
bob
Here's a '54 in a mint set:

I suspect that the nickel dies of that era were made from inferior die stock that would not harden properly.
It's just you
Just kidding
I learn new things here every day, thanks for sharing your well thought out observations concerning these Jefferson nickels, I appreciate it
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb, Ricko
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
where is cladking?
WOW! That is a fugly coin.....
A: The year they spend more on their library than their coin collection.
A numismatist is judged more on the content of their library than the content of their cabinet.
That is one Nasty Nickel. It seems a lot of mint set coins are BU.......Beat Up.
No, you're not alone. There are at least two of us. You and me. It is VERY, VERY difficult to find a decent 1955 nickel. The TPG grades don't mean much as far as I'm concerned. Maybe the graders know something I don't know. It doesn't bother me. But it is frustrating. There are some good ones out there, but it takes a lot of searching. Think "RAW." Think "SLIDERS."
1958 coins are really bad too. Nearly as bad as the 1955.
My rankings of the worst appearing Jefferson Nickels:
1. 1955
2. 1958
3. 1954
4. 1982-P
5. 1983-P
6. 1953
7. 1960-D
8. 1952
9. 1961-D
10. 1967
Feel free to agree or disagree.
....and no, it's not "just you."
These coins with nice eye appeal struck on decent planchets with even slightly above average strikes are real sleepers.
Not so much as they were years ago, when I first started studying and trading in them, but opportunities are still out there...if you have enough patience and energy.
Make that three of us.
Here is a 57 in FS:
These are tough to find in FS also and even then nicks, gouges, etc., on both obverse and reverse is common.
I've noticed it as well. They're all beat to hell in my mint sets!
Click on this link to see my ebay listings.
Quite honestly, a lot of the rolls from that era are just as bad. Looks like AU rolls at first.
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