United States 1964 5 cents
This specimen was part of lot 92423 in Stack's Bowers October 2020, which sold for $204. The lot description noted, "1964 Proof Set with Accented Hair Kennedy Half Dollar (PCGS). Included are: Kennedy Half Dollar, Accented Hair Proof-66 DCAM; Washington Quarter Proof-67; Roosevelt Dime Proof-67; Jefferson Nickel Proof-67; and Lincoln Cent Proof-66 RD." The Jefferson nickel replaced the buffalo nickel in 1938 and this design was used until 2003. Wartime five cent pieces (1942-45) were made of copper-silver-manganese but the prewar composition was resumed in 1946. The designer's initials were added to the obverse in 1966 and in 1968 the mintmark was moved from the reverse to the obverse. Some rare varieties and errors exist but no dates are rare. Only the 1939-D, 1939-S and 1942-D can be counted as even slightly scarce. Many dates are rare in fully-struck condition and collectors compete for these. In 1964-65, rising silver prices pushed the bullion content of dimes, quarter and halves over their face value, causing them to rapidly disappear from circulation. Blaming coin collectors, Treasury officials halted production of proof sets and removed the mintmark from circulation coinage.
Recorded Mintage: 1,024,672,000 plus 3,950,762 proofs. 2.8 billion nickels, representing 14,000 metric tons of metal, were manufactured dated 1964, a total not approached again for 35 years.
Specification: 5 g, copper-nickel, 21.2 mm diameter. Designed by Felix Schlag.
Catalog reference: KM A192.
- Yeoman, R. S., and Kenneth Bressett (ed.), A Guide Book of United States Coins, 65th Ed., Atlanta, GA: Whitman Publishing, 2011.
- Alexander, David T., Coin World Comprehensive Catalog & Encyclopedia of United States Coins, Sidney, OH: Amos Press, 1995.
- Breen, Walter H., Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U. S. and Colonial Coins, New York: Doubleday, 1987.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
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