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Coin of the day... November 25, 2003.... 1912-S Liberty Nickel
coinlieutenant
Posts: 9,329 ✭✭✭✭✭
My only input is that a well struck specimen is a great find....
Let the information flow!!
John
Let the information flow!!
John
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According to Walter Breen, a number of the mint state survivors are from the H.E. McIntosh hoard of 60 pieces, discovered in about 1953.
The PCGS Population Report shows a total of 483 pieces, as follows:
57 VG-VF
5 XF40
3 XF45
1 AU50
1 AU53
5 AU55
10 AU58
4 MS60
3 MS61
31 MS62
119 MS63
187 MS64
50 MS65
7 MS66
Even culls are pretty valuable.
Thanks for the pop numbers on this coin too Mr. Feld.
Interesting. Lots of 64s. Wow.
Now if I could just find a no-problem 85 at a reasonable price....
In fact, if one is not familiar with these characteristics, it is pretty easy to mistake a choice (or better) mint state piece for a lightly circulated one. They just don't look too nice, most of the time.
One of the four coins I still need to complete my high grade Liberty Nickel set. And it's a difficult one for many reasons.
The biggest is strike. With Liberty Nickels, once you move past the hair and 'Liberty' on the head you look at the 13 stars on the obverse. Can one see the lines that separate the points of each star clearly? It's darned hard to find coins where every star is well defined. Many 12-S nickels don't have good stars. Specifically in the 3 to 5 O'clock positions.
Even more difficult, is the corn ears near the base of the wreath on the reverse. The right ear tends to strike up fine, and one can see the kernels there on most coins with no problems. But the Left ear... there is the bad boy. On most Liberty Nickels it strikes up weak, and often shows no detail. On 12-S's it is a BIG problem area. I've seen MS65's with no detail there. If Liberty Nickels were as hot as Jefferson Nickels and Mercury Dimes one would hear talk about 'Full ears' or 'Full Kernels' :-)
Most of the MS coins about today suffer from poor strikes, with a weak strike on the head causing a lack of detail in the hair. As a previous poster noted, this might be because they all came from the same hoard of four or so saved rolls.
Luster is a problem on this date also. When found, they are often dull and streaked. Again, this speaks toward the supply coming from one (perhaps poorly stored) batch.
Whenever I've been shopping for this coin I've been thwarted. When I have the cash I can't find one that meets my desires for a solid strike and good eye appeal. When I don't have the cash, such pieces pop up and mock me with their $1500 to $1800 sell prices. Sneaky coins! So it's cost is an issue also for collectors of the series.
It's in my opinion the 'key' Liberty Nickel. And like many of the S mint Buffalos that follow in the teens, is a hard coin to corral in good shape.
Hopefully I'll catch on in the next year or so :-)
Myriads
Anyone else for read or input?
John
siliconvalleycoins.com
1. I still need it and
2. When I had the cash for one two years ago at the Silver Dollar show in StL, no one had one in VG or Fine.
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Its the best photo's I have, but they dont show the superior luster this coin has.
To comment on the previous comments, Many of the slabbed 12-s Liberty Nickels that Grade up to an including Ms-64 are often found with drabby surfaces or an olive/greenish yellow tint. Its truly difficult to find one with original nickel color with great preservation and a decent strike.