War Nickels

fixxxer9

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Jan 8, 2013
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SLC, UT
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I am currently search only nickels and cents (mainly due to my financial situation). I am hoping to find some war nickels some day but from what I have read they are relatively rare. I went to a couple LCS today just to see what they were selling for and they both were selling them for $1.50 a piece. I looked on coinflation and it said that they are worth about $1.70 in silver. Now I'm not searching rolls to find them so I can make money off them but is that normal for LCS to sell them lower than the silver price?:icon_scratch:
 

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enamel7

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Apr 16, 2005
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It is not illegal to melt war nickels. Check out provision 82.2 section D http://www.usmint.gov/downloads/consumer/FederalRegisterNotice.pdf. Or nto since I will copy and paste for you. (d)The prohibition contained in § 82.1 against the exportation, melting, or treatment of 5-cent coins shall not apply to 5-cent coins inscribed with the years 1942, 1943, 1944, or 1945 that are composed of an alloy comprising copper, silver and manganese.

As for being more costly to purify, well, that is just malarkey. If you use a chemical method, it is the same process and the same amount of chemicals. The only difference is the percentage of silver, and that is all.

Nice research! I learned something new today.
 

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fixxxer9

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Jan 8, 2013
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SLC, UT
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I drive around the community as part of my job and I get reimbursed for miles so I stop by banks on the way to my appointments so technically I get paid to go to banks and search rolls. I usually take $10 and turn it in to cents, keep the pre 1982 and trade what's left over for nickels. I do it probably 10 times each day at different banks. I usually just get copper cents but find some wheats. It works good for me though.
 

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jrf30

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May 7, 2006
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I do 2 boxes a week for the last few years and am averaging 1 per box. I find more war nicks then buffaloes.

Me too. S o far I have found 109 war nickels, and only 83 Buffaloes. (PLus 1 V nIckel and 4 Proof Jerfferson nickels)
 

ivan salis

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Feb 5, 2007
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thats because buffs are easily idible as "differant" whereas the war nickles have jefferson on the front and are only idible as silver war nickles by dates 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945 and the large mint letters on the rear P, S, D --so they tend to get over looked - often due to their silver content they tend to be darkish in color due to tarnishing of the silver in them
 

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fixxxer9

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Jan 8, 2013
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SLC, UT
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I would love to find a proof nickel. I found a proof Lincoln cent in a roll about three weeks ago. It was pretty exciting.
 

rfishoutofwater

Sr. Member
Feb 11, 2011
465
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PNW
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I have found around 200 war nicks, 40ish buffaloes and only 6 proof nicks over the last couple years. Keep searching and you'll find them. Got 2 boxes of nicks I'm working on right now. Have to pick up 1k in halves tomorrow.
 

CladSmoke

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Nov 18, 2012
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I found a proof Jefferson 2009 two days ago. I believe that put me at about 9 proofs in a little under a year.
 

TimZim

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Aug 3, 2011
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I stoped looking at nicks a long time ago but i like them i found allmost 2 rolls of the war nicks there pretty cool.
 

rfishoutofwater

Sr. Member
Feb 11, 2011
465
70
PNW
Detector(s) used
garret 350
Got 2 war nicks 1 buffalo and a 1938S that's an AU50. Looks almost new. Full steps. A 1943P war nick was the same grade. Still have another box to g through.
 

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