Collector Highlight

A seven-year-old Jeff Nicholson found his numismatic calling with Lincoln Cents in the early 1970s. “Not really sure why I chose coins at the time other than wanting to do something different than my brother, 15 months older, who had a stamp collection,” recalls Nicholson. “My father, a teacher, would have the lunchroom ladies save any Wheat Cents that they found and would usually bring me home several each day.” Young Jeff studied coin magazines and A Guide Book of United States Coins (“The Red Book”) and spent hours at his local coin shop perusing the inventory while talking coins with the dealer. The budding numismatist also searched numerous coin rolls for his growing collection. “I had the great fortune of finding all the Lincoln Wheat series in this manner, minus the big four (1909-S, 1909-S VDB, 1914-D, and 1931-S). After a couple of years, allowance and chore monies were saved up, and the final four were purchased at one time, completing the collection.” He sold that first Lincoln Cent set as he grew into his teens, when he found other pursuits that attracted his attention.

Nicholson returned to the hobby about 25 years ago. His love for vintage Lincolns remained. “I have always loved copper coins and especially the Wheat reverse of the Lincoln Cent.” His PCGS Registry Sets grew slowly with high-quality Lincoln Cents. His patience and keen desire for quality lifted his four Lincoln Cent PCGS Registry Sets under the “Sage Oak” banner to lofty heights. “I never thought I could make it into the top 10 of sets due to the competition involved, but with several key coins becoming available over the last few years from top sets, my Lincoln Cents Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1909-1958) is #1.”

Some coins were tougher to locate than others. Those posing Nicholson the greatest challenge? “Most ‘S’ mints in the ‘20s,” he quickly replies. Yet, years of diligent set building have paid off for Nicholson. His carefully curated sets boast many gems, such as his 1909-S VDB, which grades PCGS MS67RD. “It has amazing color for an ‘S-VDB.’”

Nicholson attributes his success to patience and finding a dealer he could trust. “Andy Skrabalak at Angel Dee’s Coins and Collectibles took the time to teach me about coin quality and grading at high levels,” he says. “Learn a series and what a quality coin in that series looks like.” He also recommends spending a little more money to obtain the quality you really want. “If you aren’t in love with a coin when you buy it, you won’t like it later. Cheap coins are usually cheap for a reason.” It may become even harder to find high-quality Lincoln Cents in the future, especially as production of the coin is slated to end soon. “It’s sad to see it go, but it is definitely time.” Nicholson says the coin’s buying power has shrunk too much. But he’s hopeful for what the future may hold for the cent in its pending obsolescence. “For the Lincoln series specifically, it should bring out some new collectors, hopefully, but I think the focus will be on Lincoln Memorial Cents mainly as it has been 67 years since the Wheat Cent was discontinued.”