Request grade opinions on this Buffalo nickle

[RGT]

I'd like to know your opinion as well as what you think NGC would give it. I'm trying to decide if I should send it in and I can't grade these things. I almost started to collect these but after buying (and reading) David Lange's book I decided to collect a "safer" series that wasn't so hard to grade.

 

Updated with smaller pictures. I just snapped them, cropped them and uploaded them last night without considering a resize.

 

[jduran1]

how did you get the picture so big. thanks.

[Hoot]

It's F15 to VF-ish and you'll do well to have it graded if you are going to sell it. (I had to back up a few feet from my monitor to estimate a grade. ) Even in F15 it's a $85 coin. Now, if you are not going to sell it, then it's better off raw and in an album somewhere.

 

Hoot

[Oldtrader3]

Hoot makes a point and I'm not trying to be critical but I don't know why people think posting huge images for grading is better than grading at 3X to 6X. If the image is so large that you can't envision the grade within a normal eye focus scan, it is too big, distorted and out of visual context. Minor scratches become huge canyons. No one uses a 16X surface comparator to grade coins. Coins are normally graded at 3 to 6X. You might note that auction catalog scans are 2 to 4X. This is probably an optimal size to judge a coin picture by with minimal surface characteristic distortion.

 

Just my opinion, mind you, which I have offered before. Sometimes bigger isn't better.

[supertooth]

RGT----- I rarely disagree with Hoot but here goes. Do you not have to have a complete rim for a "fine" coin?? Area below date and A in America are not complete. Old school grading says this coin is a VG. But the horn is pretty decent so I might squeak out a Fine 12----but no more than that. However, I do realize that the grading standards of today are a full grade higher than they used to be. Adds confusion to all of us depending on which book or era that you choose to believe. This coin is a perfect example. Depending on who buys or sells it, the grade could go anywhere from a low of VG to a high of VF. So I guess a Fine 12 fits it about right. Bob [supertooth]

[cointagious]

Branch mint 1920's can be so difficult to zero in on the appropriate grade including the other denominations. I'd say a choice fine grade is appropriate.

[jom]

how did you get the picture so big. thanks.

 

Hopefully, the picture in your sig won't get larger anytime soon.

 

 

jom

[Hoot]

Much better photo size to deal with RGT! I'll stick with my F15 assessment, but in this issue, and also in the 18-S, 21-S, 24-D, 24-S, 25-D, 25-S, and 26-D, I've seen a lot of consideration given to the fact that many were weakly struck. That's why the lack of a horn tip does not bug me much. I've seen these coins in VF20 holders that had no more detail to the bison's head and rump area, and also with the rim beginning to blend with LIBERTY on the obverse. Since there's such remarkable price differences in single grade jumps with this coin, it's definitely worth having professionally graded if you plan to sell it.

 

I like the look of the coin and it would be a keeper for an album in my collection.

 

Hoot

[BankNote1]

I like the size of the photos! I hate the small photos. Hoot is right on on the grade! It is very close to VF. NGC prob. would grade it F15 but it could as easily come back VF20!!!

[HaydenTubbs]

I'd like to know your opinion as well as what you think NGC would give it.

 

 

body bag?

 

 

 

 

Nice piece there Randy,I'd call it a F-15...

[HaydenTubbs]

400 pixels?

[TomB]

I like it and it wouldn't surprise me at all to come back as a VF20, however, I would only buy it as a F12.

[RGT]

I'd like to know your opinion as well as what you think NGC would give it.

 

 

body bag?

 

These days, that's what I'm hoping to avoid.

 

 

I've spent some time looking through the Heritage archives and comparing this coin to other '26-S buffs. I really see little difference between mine and some VF35s. I also can't see a lot of difference when comparing to F15, which is why I still believe I can't grade these things.

 

Here's one currently on ebay in a PCGS VF30 holder. This one looks only marginally better than mine with about the same amount of detail and horn.

 

My coin is currently in and old green PCI holder graded VF20 and noted as "2/3 horn". I'm planning on selling it since I am too hopeless to collect this series. If NGC gave it a F15 I would be better off leaving it in the holder it is in now. If they gave it a VF20 I would obviously do better in the NGC holder.

 

The line between F15 and VF20 is too small to justify such a price jump.

[bigd5]

That coin grades vf. Some poor folks will see the lack of a full horn and immediately chop the coin down, but the overall obverse and central reverse detail looks vf, hence the vf grade.

 

The obverse could be the picture of vf in a grading guide, and the reverse is very close to that point, only lacking......well, the point (of the horn)!

[supertooth]

RGT-----Thank you for starting this thread. You are doing only what "all" of us attempt to do. This series, IMHO, causes the stress that you are going thru. I do disagree with you on the PCGS VF30 coin. To me it is much superior to your coin. The rim is excellent on this coin. Liberty is better. Below the date is "much" better. The horn is better. Coin is just "better" all around---better eye appeal as well. Even I would grade it a VF coin. I think that Tom B sums my feelings up quite well. Your coin might get into a VF slab at NGC but I would still only pay Fine money for it. If you were buying it, would you pay VF money for it??

Not long ago I sent in a 27S Quarter to NGC. Thought I had a shot at VF20. NGC "HATES" to bump up a coin when the money jumps up so much in the next grade. If it is a "liner", they tend not to do it. With no Fine 18 grade----It came back in a Fine 15 holder. I think like I have found out about PCGS----they want you to resubmit---maybe several times to get the Very Fine. JMHO of course.

You could always just sell it in the PCI green holder? Know what you are thinking about that. But, if you crack it out and it comes back an NGC 15---you are worse off than you were. If you go for a "crossover"---and it fails----money totally wasted. It is a tough call and one that might leave you "talking" to yourself if you guess wrong. Not to mention the time element here-----waiting for the results. Personally, I would sell it in the current holder and sleep well with a clear conscience. Good luck!! Bob [supertooth]

[BankNote1]

If you plan on selling the piece just leave it in the old PCI holder.

If you planned on sending it in for grading to NGC I would leave it in the old PCI holder. If you were planning on sending it to PCGS you need to find the "right" dealer to send it in for you, IMO.

I wonder how many of the people that say they would only pay F money for the coin would sell it for only F money???

I do think it is a F15-to-VF20 piece though. It also has a good look to it! I would put it in my albun anytime!!! In fact I do need one for my album!

[RGT]

Maybe that PCGS coin was a bad example (but I really don't see all that much difference in the coins). I picked that one because it was handy and everyone can access ebay. Here's one from the Heritage archives but you will have to log on to see it.

 

Heritage 1926-S

 

It's hard to find one graded VF20 or even F15 for that matter.

 

Would I pay VF money? No, but I don't collect these things. I did pay more than F money for this one though. Maybe you could say I paid PCI VF money.

 

There is only one local dealer around here and he doesn't submit to PCGS any more. He also doesn't want to submit coins for crossover but has always asked me to crack them out first. I'm not sure that he wouldn't do it, but he generally recomends cracking them. I don't get to his shop often but I will try to get it over there soon and see what he thinks it will grade.

 

The funny thing is, if this were a 1938-D there would be no question on the grade, nor would anyone really care. But then I wouldn't have started this thread and had fun discussing it.

[Buffalo_Pete]

It will not grade VF-20. Even if you net grade it. Hoot and myself are in agreement here. 26-S is a very difficult coin to grade. Most were incomplete from the beginning. Even the rims wore unevenly.

 

There is just not enough on this coin to warrant a 20 - even to net grade it.

 

F-15 at the most...................and a nice soin I would not mind owning.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Pete

[SilverDollarMan]

VG-10 -12, no more1