The 1959 Jefferson Nickel — Last of the Old Nickels?
May 14, 2026
When it comes to collecting modern coinage, there are plenty of organic bookends and thresholds that cue collectors as to what is “old” or “worthy” and what can be spent as money. Consider Lincoln Cents, which saw a subtype switch in the late 1950s with the transition from the vintage Wheat reverse design giving way to the still thoroughly modern Lincoln Memorial motif in 1959.
The Roosevelt Dime and Washington Quarter went to copper-nickel compositions in 1965, automatically making the 90% silver iterations issued prior to 1965 automatically worth at least their spot value — something that has increased appreciably in the last few years. Kennedy Half Dollars saw a sea change in 1971 when they lost their silver content. Just as well, the plurality of silver dollar enthusiasts might agree that anything struck before the Eisenhower Dollar in 1971 is a “classic” among their denomination of choice.
From PCGS