Grading Jefferson Nickels

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Most collectors pay particular attention to the reverse of the Jefferson nickel when grading this coin. As a member of ANA, SMCcoins is dedicated to ensuring that we sell all Jefferson nickels in accordance to the ANA grading system.

A Jefferson nickel in good condition will have the rim of the coin worn down into the letters and the portrait of Jefferson on the front of the coin will be flat. Many of the war nickels that remain in circulation today fit this description. Coins in good condition in the Jefferson nickel series are not highly sought after.

Very Good

To meet the requirement of very good, some of the hair line detail on Jefferson's portrait must show, however the rim of the coin can still be worn into the tops of the letters. A very good reverse should show all of the pillars in the Monticello building and the last outer two pillars will be visible but not completed.

Fine

To meet fine condition, Jefferson's portrait must show 50% of the hair lines. The last two pillars in the Monticello building will be completed. The inner two pillars need to show but they are weakly defined and not completed.

Very Fine

A very fine Jefferson nickel will show 75% of the hair detail in Jefferson's portrait. The Monticello pillars on the reverse of the coin will be completed and some of the archway above the pillars will be completed.

Extra Fine

An extremely fine Jefferson nickel will show all of the hair lines in Jefferson's portrait. Earlier dated coins from 1938 through the 1960's will have hair lines that are less pronounced than those minted after 1970. As the years of minting Jefferson nickels passed by, the mint was able to perfect the design details and coins dated 1994 to date have very fine hair line details. Only wear on the high points of the coin will have wear. Tilting the coin into the light will reveal flat, dull spots that indicate the wear. The reverse must have all of the details intact, including the detail in the archway.

Dispelling some beliefs.

A Jefferson nickel in Brilliant Uncirculated condition does not have to have step detail. Step details are rare for some of the nickels dated before 1970 and some of these nickels with full steps rise in value from the hundreds of dollars to the thousands. 

Some brilliant uncirculated nickels dated before the sixties actually have no step detail and the steps area is often flat as if to be worn smooth. On the obverse, some nickels dated before 1960 have few line details in Jefferson's portrait.

Uncirculated Jefferson nickels in the war series are prone to black spotting when they begin to tarnish. The other Jefferson nickels will turn various colors of blue,gray, red, purple, yellow and amber pantina. In order to protect the coins, it is advised to place them in a window type album and ensure that the environment is dry and clean. Never place a BU coin in an album that is open faced with coin slots since the acid in these folders will turn the rim green.

Storing Jefferson nickels in paper coin holders is not advisable. The longer the coin is kept in the holders the more susceptible they are to toning and other environmental damage. Some cardboard holders can also damage your coins over time.

Storing Jefferson nickels in roll form is OK, however, these coins have to be kept in an extremely dry and clean environment or they will turn green and develop black spots and possibly porosity. The safest place for a roll of Jefferson nickels is in a milky white tube that is sealed. The plastic tubes offer protection but over many years coins in these tubes will tarnish and perhaps develop some other unwanted characteristics.

When handling any coin use the rim only to hold the coin. It is not true that if you touch a coin that is BU, it is no longer BU. As matter of a fact, a coin is still regarded as uncirculated even if there are finger prints on the face of the coin, however, the grade will be MS60. MS60 coins can have a lot of different issues since this is the lowest grade in uncirculated condition. MS60 coins can have finger prints, pits, black spots and other discoloration.

The difference between BU and uncirculated is all in the appearance of the coin. A bright coin is considered BU and this reference has no meaning to the MS grading system. The MS grading system is difficult to use since it relies on subjective opinion. SMCcoins always keeps PCGS Jefferson nickels in various grades so that if we find a coin that is exceptional we can compare it to our samples and then assign it a consistent grade. Generally we use MS65 for Jefferson nickels as the highest grade and if the coin grades higher so be it.