Are low grade Jefferson nickels from the 80s really worth more then face?

Looking at the Numismedia price guide some circulated Jefferson from the 80s. (82P, 82D, 83P, 83D, 84P, and 86D) are listed at above face even as low as good. Is this really the case? And if so why?

 

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First off there aren't really any of these in as low as G condition. A few exist in VG but these will invariably be culls. The same goes for F. In VF the vast majority are cull. Once you get up to XF you can start finding a few that aren't all banged up but for these dates XF is getting hard to find.

Collectors are starting to pay attention and are finding some surprises.

Virtually every '86-D nickel made went into circulation and now days circulation wrecks coins. More accurately stated there is something that is scratching up many coins.

 

No Mint Sets were produced for 1982 and 1983. This forced coin dealers and major coin suppliers to create their own sets cobbled together from bags and rolls of the best coins they could find. This lack of specialized production affected all denominations and explains the uptick in value for these two years.

Another member may have more info on the other years, like @cladking did for the ‘86D nickels.

Proofs were struck. One major variety produced was the 1982 No P Roosevelt.
…imo…Spark

 

It's probably the counting machines, like the ones you see in the food stores.

 

Regardless of the price guides, as someone who sells raw modern Jefferson Nickels, I have trouble getting interest on even the 1982-83 nickels unless they are in gem+ grade. This will probably go for less than $10

 

MS-63 and above. There is no value listed below 63 in the '24 Red Book.

 

CORRECTION to post #3…According to the Red Book…

The actual nomenclature is “No mint mark” for 1982 Roosevelts and it was for uncirculated “MS” (business strikes).

And the proof was a “No S” ( not “No P” )…Spark

 

It seems more of, stock piling time, the Souvenir sets hardly hit the market now adays. Years ago they were everywhere for a good $100 bucks. The set tends to always go for more.

 

I believe collectors are looking for upgrades and most have little trouble finding nice attractive MS-63 for most of these. But finding well made coins with good dies and no excessive marking is quite difficult for all of them.

I see a lot of '82-P quarters that wouldn't go over MS-64 going for more than $100.

 

I wonder.

It didn't seem to start until late in the last century.

It really breaks my heart since it makes assembling nice collections in any grade at all has become so difficult. You can still find a lot of the common dates after 1985 in nice XF and AU with effort but I believe these are mostly coins that have sat out of circulation for many years. The earlier coins were all worn down before the scratching began.

The attrition on nickels has become exceedingly high. This might be indicative of the general public holding them for their metal. Since the LME nickel default in 2008 this value has been quite high. Now copper is over $10,000 a long ton.

 

Thanks everyone. I wasn't aware of the lack of mint sets those years.

As for whats happening in circulation i agree that its coin sorters but not just the coin star type ones. vending machines, arcades and gambling machines are a cause too. plus over the years people have been finding ways to cheat these machines and that leads to the companies making them more precise. part of doing so is tightening things up in the machines. The less place and wiggle room in the machine the less likely a non coin will make its way though it. this of course also makes the newer machines more damaging to coins.