Owner Comments:
Mintage: 64 Million
Full Step Availability: 0.5%
Date/mm Information: Most mint state coins have poor eye appeal. In Bowers words "The Mint simply was not interested in turning out quality this year.
Coin Description:
A monster toned obverse with intermingled shades of lemon yellow, tangerine, rasbperry, grass green, periwinkle, violet, and sandy tan. The reverse is more subtly toned in pastel yellow, blue, violet, tan, and blushes of magenta.
Comments:
Destiny of a 1952 Jefferson Nickel
In March 2009, a collector decided to part with his 1952 Jefferson Nickel NGC MS67. This is a coin with a total population of (14/0) and a Numismedia Price of $220. Naturally, he chose Heritage to handle the sale of his coins and the saga of the 1952 Jefferson began. Once I saw the photo of this remarkably toned nickel, I knew I had to have it. Heritage is notorious for failing to do toned coins justice with their assembly line photographs. I could tell from the photo and the subtle hints of color that this coin was a spectacular iridescent toned monster whose true colors could not be captured by a straight on photo. A true gambler, I decided that I would place a ridiculous bid of $1,000 that would surely secure this coin's future. To my surprise at auctions end, I was outbid by $100 and the final price realized with buyers premium was $1265. Here is a link to the auction.
http://coins.ha.com/common/view_item...1&Lot_No=61142
For months I sulked over the fact that I probably let the finest toned 1952 Jefferson Nickel in existence slip through my fingers. I never imagined that another collector would come down with auction fever to usurp my ridiculous bid. Did he even know what a monster he had just purchased, maybe he did. To add insult to injury, a few months later, I found the new residence of the 1952 Jefferson. It belonged in another NGC registry set. And as upsetting as that was, I was completely dismayed when I saw the collector's photo. All I could think to myself is that justice had not been served and nobody should keep a Jefferson of this quality in the dark.
Then out of nowhere, as if the numismatic gods themselves intervened, the 1952 Jefferson showed up in a DLRC auction. Perhaps the only company with worse photos of toned coins than Heritage is DLRC. Again, the straight on photograpy on showed hints of the monster iridescent color that I knew layed on the surface of this premium gem.
I thought to myself, there is no way that lightning strikes twice. Nobody in their right mind would outbid me based on this photo. They would have to have seen both photos and even then, they would have to be a little crazy. I had convinced myself and for the second time in 6 months placed my ridiculous bid of $1,000. I fully expected to be outbid in some sort of cruel joke, but the bid never came. At auctions end, the coin was mine for a price of $195.50. Could this be true. Could I actually have picked up this coin for less than wholesale. Joy of joys it was true!
When I picked the coin up from the post office I was greeted by one of the most fantastically toned Jeffersons I have ever seen. While both Heritage and DLRC's photos were technically accurate, they failed to capture the true beauty of the coin. From a straight view, both of their photos are decidedly an accurate representation of the coin's actual appearance. But once rotated under a light, a different coin reveals itself. A Without further ado, I present the 1952 Jefferson Nickel that followed it's destiny into my collection.