The Monticello building has five steps in the front, and these steps go up to the main door and are detected by any coin checker. The grading rule “Full Steps” is only for a coin having all these five lines completely and clearly made.
The lines must be visible and they must not stop, even with problems from the coin making process, die wear, or small damage. If a coin passes this rule, its market price and its value for collectors go up a lot, making the coin special.
The Location: The steps are right under the columns of the Monticello building. These are five thin lines running straight across, needing to be clearly separate from each other.
Why the Value is Higher: They made many Jefferson Nickels, producing a large number of coins.
Most of these coins, even in a perfect state, show weak or broken steps.
Because of this, coins showing clear and full steps are very rare, making them premium pieces for any collection.
The Striking Problem and the Rarity of “Full Steps”
When the coin press hits the coin, the metal must completely go into all the small parts of the die. The area of the Monticello steps is exactly on the opposite side of Jefferson’s head on the front side. The large amount of metal needed to make Jefferson’s high head often doesn’t have enough time to completely fill the thin step details on the reverse side.
So, the steps often look “smudged”, incomplete, or partly worn, even if the coin is brand new from the press, having never been used.
Die Wear: The metal dies used for making coins get worn out, crack, or get damaged over time. As the die gets older, its power to press thin details like the steps gets much worse. Because of this, coins made with old or worn dies almost never get the “Full Steps” name.
The Metal Type: The mix of nickel and copper used for these coins isn’t always perfect for making very small details. Compared to pure silver or gold, this mix isn’t as soft when pressing, making the complete forming of the steps more difficult.
Requirements for Each Step to Get the “Full Steps” Name
To get the “Full Steps” name from big grading companies or a coin values app, the coin must meet very strict rules applying to each of the five steps.
The Five Steps: The Monticello steps run straight across, and you must count them from the bottom up.
- Step 1 : This step is usually the widest and is often made most fully. It must be clearly separate from the ground or the base supporting the building
- Step 2: This step must be clearly visible and have a sharp division from both the first step and the third step
- Step 3: This step is often the most difficult step showing problems. Because the metal on the other side is pushing against it, the middle part of the third step often looks weakest and may be invisible or broken. For “Full Steps,” this step must be completely made, showing no breaks
- Step 4: This step must be well separated from the third step and have a clear, sharp edge
- Step 5: This step is right under the columns, forming the base of the porch. It must be completely visible, and it must not blend into the porch or the fourth step
Rules for Grading Full Steps
The grade for a coin meeting the “Full Steps” rule is based on three main points: how clear the lines are, how continuous they are, and that they have no damage.
Strike Quality
The most important need is a high quality strike, making the lines clear and sharp.
Each of the five straight lines representing the steps must have clear sides. You must see not only the lines themselves but also the space between them. The steps must look like separate, flat parts, not like one soft, blurred part.
The edges of each step must look sharp and straight, not rounded or soft. Soft edges mean a weak strike or a worn die.
If the steps look “soft” or “floating,” it means the press hit wasn’t strong enough to completely move the metal into the die’s corner. In this case, the coin won’t get the “Full Steps” name.
Completeness
All five lines of the steps must be continuous along their whole length, allowing only very small and unimportant breaks.
- All five lines must be visible, making the full design clear. If you only see four lines, the coin won’t get the FS name by the coin value checker app. If you only see three lines, the coin will also not get the FS name.
- A break in any of the five lines, even a small one, caused by a weak strike will lead to the coin failing the grade. Breaks happen most often in the middle part of the third step and on the right side of the fifth step.
- The grading companies agree that very small and thin lines being part of the design might not be fully visible. However, the five main straight lines must be continuous, keeping the full steps look.
No Damage
The surface of the steps must not have much damage, protecting the original design.
Even if the steps were made perfectly, one big bag mark crossing one or more steps can make the coin lose the “Full Steps” name. The damage must be strong enough to truly break the step line.
- Hairlines are thin, very small scratches caused by cleaning the coin in the wrong way. If such a line runs across a step, it can also stop the coin from getting the FS name.
Having spots, strong color change, or rust on the step surface, hiding or making the step line unclear, will also make the coin lose the FS name.
Details of Grading by the Number of Visible Steps
Some grading companies use more detailed rules to mark coins almost but not fully meeting the FS rule.
The Strict Requirement: For getting the “Full Steps” name, all five steps must be completely and clearly visible, making the coin perfect.
- Four Steps: The coin has four fully visible and continuous steps, but the fifth step has a clear break or weakness, failing the strict rule.
- Three Steps: The coin only has three fully visible steps, and the other two are badly damaged or weren’t struck well, showing a clear fault.
Important Point: For most collectors and in the official price list, only the name “Full Steps” has the high value. Coins showing four or three steps don’t get a special letter name and are valued like regular nickels, not having the extra price for the Monticello strike quality.
The Assessment Process and Standards
Experts at the grading companies check the coin for the “Full Steps” rule using magnification, following a clear procedure.
- Visual Check: Graders use strong magnifying glasses or microscopes for looking closely at the step area. They look for any sign of a break, a weak strike, or damage on each of the five lines, making the check very detailed.
- Fairness: The grading is a visual check, but the companies work hard to be fair. The rules for “Full Steps” are very clear: the coin must have all five lines clearly visible, complete, and without damage, setting a high standard.
- The Final Name: If the coin has a good overall grade and meets the “Full Steps” rule, a special name “FS” will be added to its plastic holder.
For example, MS-65 FS. This name confirms the high quality of the strike, increasing the coin’s value.
Things Making the Search for “Full Steps” Difficult by Year
The difficulty of finding nickels with “Full Steps” changes a lot based on the year and the mint because of differences in controlling the quality of the strike.
- The 1938–1942 Time: During this early time, the strike quality was quite high. Coins from this time, especially those made early in the production runs, have a good chance of getting the FS name.
- The War Time 1942–1945: The metal mix changed in this time, and the strike quality often got worse because of hurrying and the change in the metal. Finding “Full Steps” in this time is harder, but they do exist and they cost a lot, making them rare finds.
- The Time After 1945: The quality of the strike in the years after the war became less steady. For many years made in this time, “Full Steps” are very rare, making them very valuable.
For example, nickels made in 1949-D, 1951-S, 1955, or 1956 having the FS name are thought to be very rare pieces.
- Since 2004: After the design changed in 2004–2005 and the Monticello design came back, the mint tried to make the strike quality better. But perfect “Full Steps” are still not common, showing the difficulty of the task.