Lem E

SMS?

Anyone else thinking heat damage? These areas look slightly bubbled to me. Could just be light reflection but it looks like this could have been in a fire.

I think we got pretty lucky when we found this one. Glad you were able to pick it up.

Here is another RPM I was able to acquire a few weeks ago. There are a ton of RPMs in the Jefferson series. The 1943 Philly coins alone have a bunch and I’m sure I will never have an example for every one of them. VP-008 / CONECA RPM-025 Mintmark repunched north of first impression.

Every once in a while I pick up varieties from the Jefferson series. Sometimes I can get them at a good price with a lower grade example such as this one. When it comes to these, I’m not looking for high grade examples. I just like to see these with my own eyes to further my education in the series. This is the FS-501 D/D RPM. CONECA lists this as the RPM-001. The mintmark was repunched east of the first impression.

In 1939 there were 2 different versions in the design of the steps. The reverse design was reworked to improve the steps. The PCGS coin you are showing is known as the Reverse of 38 which was the original design and they are generally graded as a whole unit because none of them are technically full steps. They get a little bit of leeway in the grading room. Your example is the reworked version known as the Reverse of 40 and the design is much sharper in the step area. The FS designation is very subjective between different graders. Some will give a set of steps a pass and others will be more harsh while grading. In technical terms, you should be able to see the horizontal lines in between the steps with no hits or breaks that will blend 2 steps together. There can be a small hit as long as it does not go deep enough to interrupt that line. 4 complete lines will indicate a 5 step coin and 5 lines will indicate a 6 step coin per NGC grading standards. PCGS does not differentiate between 5 and 6 steps and will just give a FS designation if they determine there are at least 5 steps. Generally with a 5 step coin the bottom line is gone and the rest of the lines above are visible. You will see coins with a full step designation that technically shouldn’t deserve it. Like I said, it is all up to how the grader sees it. The hubs and dies were reworked several times over the years and beginning around 1987 the step detail is much better and becomes much more common.

The numbers are also a different font/style. The 3 the 2s and the 1 are all different from the normal bill.

My first guess would be that this coin has taken a pretty long acid bath. Looks like the clad layers are almost eaten through to the copper core.

I have a whole set of the Ws in NGC plastic. I actually have 2 with the brown label. Both from the same dealer. I was not the original submitter of these coins, but I have to assume it was a bulk submission by the dealer going by the cert# ending in 88. They had many more brown label Ws for sale at the time. I am a fan of consistency myself so I get where you are coming from.

I agree with Coinbuf. I’m ok with CAC. It’s the MAC stickered coins with their “almost made it” strike designations or “grade enhancement” as they call it. The price markups they ask for these MAC coins are off the rails. A MS65 nickel with “4 full steps” is still just a MS65 nickel and a $10/15 coin at best. To put a sticker on it and ask $1000 for it is beyond ridiculous.

How about a face full of nasty hits. This is an ender from a mint wrapped roll I just opened a few weeks ago that was still in the mint box and has never seen the light of day since it left the mint in 2005. Has some nice color to it. Unfortunately it has so many deep cuts on the obverse. Otherwise, it would have been a nice looking piece.

Star coin for 3 bucks. Classic JP.

I like this look on copper. I have similar pieces. MS 63 BN

Take a look at where the inner rim meets the fields. It should be a very sharp 90 degree angle. A normal cent will have more of a smoother rounded transition. That’s a good place to start.

I don’t know. Those rims look pretty sharp and the doubling looks like a pretty good match. Wouldn’t that be a hell of a find. I’m interested in seeing where this goes.

The Amazonian Quarter is a new release for this series. Picked up the Birch Cent as well.