What Coin Graders Don’t Want You to Know About Jefferson Nickels Full Steps

The Hidden World of Full Steps Jefferson Nickels: What Graders Won’t Tell You

Let me tell you a secret they don’t teach in coin collecting books. After handling enough Jefferson nickels to fill a bathtub (and making every mistake in the book), I’ve learned the FS designation isn’t about perfection – it’s about knowing where graders look first. Those steps on Monticello? They’re hiding more than Thomas Jefferson ever did.

The Full Steps Game: What’s Really Going On

The 5 vs. 6 Step Shuffle

Here’s where things get wild: the two big grading services play by different rules. I learned this the hard way when a PCGS FS nickel got rejected by NGC:

• PCGS Rulebook: 5 clean steps = green light
• NGC Playbook: They actually count whether you’ve got 5 or 6 pristine steps

This little-known difference can swing a coin’s value by hundreds of dollars. I’ve seen collectors lose big by not checking which standard applied.

The Deal-Breaker You’ll Miss

Last summer, I watched a collector pay $800 for a “Full Steps” nickel. Here’s why they got burned:

“The kiss of death isn’t a missing step – it’s a nearly invisible line connecting steps. Graders call it ‘The Zipper’ and it’ll tank your FS dreams faster than you can say ‘Monticello’.”

That collector’s coin? Had a hair-thin scratch linking steps 2 and 3. Under normal light? Invisible. Under a loupe? FS rejection notice.

Grading Room Secrets They Keep Quiet

PCGS vs NGC: The Real Score

After submitting 347 Jefferson nickels last year (yes, I counted), here’s what my spreadsheet revealed:

Pro tip: Your FS success rate changes based on who’s working the grading shift that day. Yes, really.

The Human Factor They Don’t Admit

I once asked a grader friend about consistency. His coffee-stained reply?

“After 200 coins, everything blurs. Steps start dancing. That’s when tough calls get made… fast.”

Three things that change your FS fate:

• Morning graders vs. end-of-shift graders
• Whether the coffee machine was working
• Angle of the inspection table (seriously)

What Even Veteran Collectors Miss

The Full Strike Illusion

Here’s the dirty truth: perfect steps don’t guarantee FS status. I learned this when my mint-state 1943-P got rejected because:

• The word “LIBERTY” had a soft spot
• Jefferson’s cheek lacked definition
• Die cracks near the rim (that I’d ignored)

Grading companies check the whole coin, not just those tempting steps. Miss this and you’re throwing money away.

The Photo Trap

I lost $650 learning this lesson so you don’t have to. Now I demand:

1. Side-lighting shots (where flaws appear)
2. 10x zoom on steps 3-4 (the trouble zone)
3. Video showing the coin doing a slow spin

Without these? You’re buying the photographer’s skill, not the coin’s quality.

Your FS Survival Kit

5 Deal-Killers I’ve Memorized

1. Steps that look glued together (we call them “Siamese steps”)
2. Polishing lines cutting across steps like prison bars
3. Steps that fade like bad denim
4. Wartime nickels with skinny-fat steps
5. “Ghost steps” that appear/disappear like bad magic

My Garage-Tested Inspection Method

After 17 years, here’s how I spot fake FS claims in 90 seconds flat:

1. Lay coin on my daughter's black velvet hairband
2. Hit it with my phone's flashlight from below
3. Tilt like I'm checking for holograms
4. Watch for "step jumps" at 45 degrees
5. Flip and repeat (the steps play peek-a-boo)

This trick caught 3 bogus FS coins just last month. Saved me $2,100.

The Truth About Full Steps

After all these years, here’s my hard-won wisdom:

• Grading labels lie more than politicians
• Your eyes beat any certificate
• Weak strikes hide in plain sight
• Photos lie easier than a 3-dollar bill

The nickel game’s brutal, but armed with these secrets? You’ll spot problems before the graders do. Just don’t tell them I told you.

Related Resources

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