Does anyone know who discovered the 1939/rev 40 nickel?

[RWB]

I'm trying to identify the discoverer of the 1939/rev 1940 proof nickel, and the discoverer of the 1940/rev 38 nickel.

 

Multiple sources seem to conflict and I do not have back issues of The Numismatist available.

[DWLange]

I don't have the exact information regarding the transitional proof coins, but I did find something that will be of interest and is not generally known. The letter quoted is reproduced in Q. David Bowers' book on Buffalo and Jefferson Nickels, but the interpretation of its meaning and the recipient's response is my own.

 

The two different reverse hubs were first reported in the November 1942 issue of The Numismatist by Malcolm Chell-Frost. He had observed the doubled-die reverse variety now known as FS-801, and he began searching for additional pieces. In response to his inquiry, he received the following letter dated September 18, 1939 from Paul J. Dowd, acting superintendent of the Philadelphia Mint:

 

"Please be advised that a new hub was completed of the Reverse Jefferson Nickel with a slight increase in [the] weight of MONTICELLO and FIVE CENTS February 21, 1939. Since that date all the dies have been drawn from the new hub. No change has been made in the hub since February 21, 1939."

 

Chell-Frost had actually written to the Mint about the doubled-die variety, but Dowd evidently misunderstood the request and instead answered in regard to the hub change. Chell-Frost, in turn, misunderstood the acting superintendent's answer, informing readers that this was the presumed cause of the doubled-die. It's clear he did not realize that the latter variety was a doubled impression of the new hub alone, since he attributes it to a recutting of the old hub before that one was replaced!

[RWB]

David - Thanks for the information. I was not aware of Mr. Chell-Frost's discovery. I completely agree with your interpretation. The Dowd letter seems to confirm that work was done on a new hub - but not a master die.

[RWB]

PS: Seems to me that NGC has a major advantage in having someone like David W. Lange on the staff!

[CaptHenway]

Fascinating!

[DWLange]

Malcolm Chell-Frost wrote a brief follow-up article that was published in The Numismatist for February, 1943:

 

"I was very pleased to hear from quite a few fellow collectors following my communication appearing in the November issue of The Numismatist on the re-engraved nickel of 1939...I can honestly say that I am thrilled when I find one of these nickels after going through several hundred; they are seemingly quite scarce, and up to the present time only twenty have been found."

 

Once again, the significance of the new reverse hub seems to have been overlooked in the excitement over the DDR nickel. Also true was that the correct cause of the DDR variety was not understood, since Chell-Frost still describes it as "re-engraved."

 

I haven't been able to determine when collectors first became aware of the visual differences in the hubs and the transitional varieties that resulted from this switch, but I doubt it was any earlier than the 1960s. Jefferson Nickel specialists certainly knew of them in the 1970s, though this was hardly common knowledge in the hobby as a whole before publication of The Cherrypickers' Guide.

[RWB]

Good info. The authentication companies do not seem to have adopted the two mismatched varieties until the mid-1990s.

[johnny9434]

wow, thats very useful info. many thanks

[leeg]

PS: Seems to me that NGC has a major advantage in having someone like David W. Lange on the staff!

No doubt in my mind.

 

 

[CaptHenway]

Good info. The authentication companies do not seem to have adopted the two mismatched varieties until the mid-1990s.

 

Au contraire. ANACS, the first authentication service, was recognizing both the 1939 Rev. of 1940 and 1940 Rev. of 1939 when I started there in 1978. That is probably because fellow Authenticator Ed Fleischmann had helped publicize them in the pages of Collectors Clearinghouse before he started there in 1976.

 

It helped that Jefferson nickel maven Bern Nagengast also lived in Sidney, Ohio, and Ed and I knew him as fellow members of the Shelby County Coin Club.

 

TD

[Conder101]

ANACS recognized a lot of varieties early on. PCGS and NGC recognized very few varieties of any series until the mid 90's.

[RWB]

Good info. The authentication companies do not seem to have adopted the two mismatched varieties until the mid-1990s.

 

Au contraire. ANACS, the first authentication service, was recognizing both the 1939 Rev. of 1940 and 1940 Rev. of 1939 when I started there in 1978. That is probably because fellow Authenticator Ed Fleischmann had helped publicize them in the pages of Collectors Clearinghouse before he started there in 1976.

 

It helped that Jefferson nickel maven Bern Nagengast also lived in Sidney, Ohio, and Ed and I knew him as fellow members of the Shelby County Coin Club.

 

TD

Ah! Very helpful! That pushes the recognition window back further.

[CaptHenway]

ANACS recognized a lot of varieties early on. PCGS and NGC recognized very few varieties of any series until the mid 90's.

 

We were the Pros from Dover!