War Nickel at 12-40????

[dirtjunkie]

I have found 3 war nickels previous to this one with the etrac and they all came in around 12-15, yesterday I get a 12-39, 12-40 signal in the woods by an old swimming hole and think its gonna be a wheatie and out pops a nickel. Wipe it off and see its a 1943-p, just like all my others. Locks in at 12-40 out of the ground. What is going on here!??

 

[DukeOBass]

For some reason there are those oddball wartime jeffs. I believe they are some of the last montage year ones.

 

[Goes4ever]

I have dug 2-3 that came in that high, I read somewhere that the silver content varied in some of them, so I am guessing you found one with a higher than 35% silver, good deal!

 

[Dale(Ia)]

Yes, I had a couple come in that high also.........if I remember right they were also '45,s

 

[D&P-OR]

My wife & I always hunt together and over the years & between the two of us, we have found several war nickels that came in the "40ish" range (maybe as high as 42-43).----I never could figure out why that was but maybe it's like Go4 says---there is a few that has a higher silver content.------This is a great post, thanks for bringing this up--it's something that has always puzzled me.----------Del

 

[BryanM362]

For some reason there are those oddball wartime jeffs. I believe they are some of the last montage year ones.

Duke, what are "montage years?"

 

[MD_Hunter]

The same thing happened to me this past weekend, it was a solid 12-40 so I was expecting a wheatie and out pops a war nickel.

I just went back and air tested my war nickels, all of my others come in at 12-15 except for this one which still registers at 12-40. It is a 1945-P by the way. This will make me think twice the next time I get a 12-40.

 

[DukeOBass]

Sorry, meant to type mintage years. I was on my smartphone at the time.

 

[dirtjunkie]

Cool, thanks for all the info everyone! As goes4ever said, I figued the silver content must be higher. Makes ya wonder if some other pre1964 coins have a higher or lower silver content.

 

[E-Trac-Ohio]

Yes, the same thing happened to me a few years ago - I found a war nickle that came in around FE 12 - CO 38-40.