Owner Comments:
Interest waned among contemporary collectors of the time for the newly designed Jefferson nickels, with only 12,535 proof nickels produced to meet demand from the public. This was a reduction of over 7,000 pieces, or better than 35 percent from the inaugural year of 1938. Opposite of its business strike counterpart, production at Philadelphia was better than 90% with the reverse of 1938 for the proof finish nickels.
Most of the 1939 issued nickels were of a purely brilliant finish, just as had been the brilliant finish buffalo nickels of 1936 and ’37. To find these nickels with any cameo contrast at all is a difficult task, as this is an unusual feature of these coins. The present coin is utterly original in its patina, exceptionally well preserved, and also shows a mild, but distinct, cameo contrast on the obverse portrait of Jefferson. This one-sided cameo proof is more common than the two-sided pieces, as the contrasting nature of the dies disappeared from the reverse with an apparently greater quickness than it did from the obverse. Still, the appearance of cameo in any of the devices for this year is quite uncommon, and signals an early strike. This coin is quite exceptional overall, and bears every feature that a Jefferson enthusiast could desire. (05/08/2006)