Owner Comments:
Name: The White Whale (Homemade & 2020 Upgrade)
Mintage: 2.6 Million
Full Step Availability: 10%
Date/mm Information: The lowest mintage of the series was widely hoarded and Bowers remarks "Although Mint State coins are very common today, most are rather dull or uninspiring in appearance, often struck from worn dies and lackluster. For a sparkling gem with sharp steps the adjective scarce can truly be applied.
Coin Description:
Stunning luster combines with near flawless surfaces and light champagne toning and one of the best strikes I have ever seen on a 50-D which results in absolutely hammered razor sharp steps. This coin represents the pinnacle of what is available for this date/mm. The typical premium gem 50-D is mushy, often lack luster, and even when they have full steps, the steps are always rather weak and just get there. This coin's steps can be seen full with the naked eye, they are that strong.
Comments:
This coin represents my 8th attempt to fill this slot in my registry set. The first 7 attempts were various MS67 and MS67 5FS coins. Most were either lack luster, poorly struck, or down right ugly. The 1950-D may not be difficult to find in mint state grades, but obtaining a specimen that fits in a high ranking registry set is a difficult chase indeed. At the outset of my endeavor to complete the Jefferson series, I knew I would need fantastic coin to represent the "so called" key date of the series. After 7 failed attempts to fill the slot, I began to consider the ever elusive 1950-D, my white whale. Well in this story, Ahab (Lehigh) wins. I present the "White Whale" of the Atlantic City Set of Jefferson Nickels.
In the 2011 Heritage FUN Sale, I obtained my first MS67 5FS, and I was so elated that at the time, I declared that coin my White Whale, but alas the coin had what some would call satin luster. Let's be honest, the thing was so flat and uninspiring that only an aficionado of technical grading could appreciate it. But I kept up the façade that I was happy with the coin and kept it in my set. In 2019, I found an MS67 with beautiful cobalt blue and antique bronze toning that resided in an old fatty slab that predated the 5FS designation. I was confident that it was full steps so I sent the coin to NGC for designation review and sure enough, the coin came back MS67 5FS and that coin represented this set last year.
My brother has taken up coin collecting again in 2019 and is building an impressive Franklin Half Dollar collection on his own, started buying mint sets on eBay in an attempt to cherrypick some nice full bell Franklins. So he decides to buy a random 1950-D mint set that someone had assembled in one of those capital plastics holders. He hands it to me and asks me what I think. Well, I wasn't too impressed with the Franklin, but when I got to the Jefferson my knees buckled and I almost dropped the entire set. Gazing back at me through the loupe was the finest 50-D Jefferson Nickel I had ever seen. I was Ahab, searching the 7 seas in search of my White Whale, meanwhile, my brother, completely by accident, has it fall right into his lap.
So I sent it to NGC knowing full well what grade it would receive and I told my brother, when that coin comes back MS67 5FS, I am gonna sell mine, and you are gonna sell this one to me. He agreed that $500 was a fair price for his little brother to finally get his White Whale.