Change is here. I have proof!
In change at the video store today I received a 1983‑S nickel. It caught my attention because the bust of Jefferson looks «frosted» against the highly-shiny background. Usually the figure doesn’t stand out so much, but on this coin, the field was polished almost to a mirror-shine. I thought it was a brand-new nickel, except that the shine wasn’t uniform (hence the frosting). That was a little confusing, so I looked closer, and sure enough, it has a mint mark: S. For «San Francisco.» The San Francisco Mint doesn’t make coins for general circulation any more; it only makes proof coins and commemoratives.
It’s been handled enough that it’s no longer in «proof» condition, so it has no value as a collector’s item. Taking it out of its set and letting fingers touch it turned it from a three dollar coin to a five cent coin. I don’t think there’s any market for proofs that show signs of circulation. Judging by the coloration, I don’t think it’s a silver proof.
Still, I have a nickel that was minted in San Francisco. That’s pretty cool in and of itself.