....A few tips on collecting Buffalo Nickels

[Buffalo_Pete]

OK...ya wanna collect original 1913-1938 Buffs? (Also posted across the street)

 

Here's some guidelines for you....in general...things I've noticed about the series in

39 years of being a coin collector:

 

1) 1937 3-Leg authenticity check:

 

If you do not know if a specimen is real, all you have to do is look at the bottom inside feather. ALL 37-D genuine 3-leg coins are actually 2 1/2 feather coins. Look real close at the inside of the feather where it should connect to the Indian, and you will see that it has been "abraided". There is a definite gap where the feather should connect to the back of the Indian.

 

2) Purchasing a VF 1926-S raw OR SLABBED specimen is your call. ALL OF THEM, at least the ones that I know of, do not meet the criteria of the grade. They do not show the full length of the horn due to strike. They are market graded by "overall wear". I know it cost serious money, but if you're gonna buy one, you decided to spend that money.

 

You may never find one, but hold out for a full-horn-to-the-tip coin.

 

3) When purchasing 1920-S, EVEN IF IT IS IN CIRCULATED GRADE...look for one that has a decent reverse, because ANY coin from that year and Mint with a decent reverse strike commands a premium.

 

4) NEVER....and I mean NEVER....purchase a raw 1913-S Type 2 in a high grade (VF or above) without a guarantee from the seller.

 

ALWAYS purchase one from a reputable dealer. (Added: this date and mint is notorious for added or embossed mintmarks)

 

5) 1927-D is notorious for a weak reverse. Be selective. Coins with well-struck reverses are few and far between.

 

6) When looking for a 1923-S in XF or better, purchase one with a full horn to the tip....NOT a market graded coin with mint luster but not a complete horn. Flat heads rule on this issue.

 

Oh well. Just thought I'd clue you in to my personal feelings about the series. Knowledge is power.

 

Added: There's a lot more to comment on...but...another day.

 

Be very selective.

 

Pete

[Hoot]

Great advice Pete!

 

Hoot

[EZ_E]

This is a great post! ***** Five stars *****

 

I love the series but have avoided it since it is so popular and therefore, quite expensive.

[Jazzy]

Have you tried getting a job?

[James_OldeTowne]

I'd like to add my 5 cents worth.

 

My experience has been that the ugliest Buffalo is the 1915-D. For some reason, these coins were struck with the most pathetic detail imagineable, especially on the obverse, and it's not unusual to see a certified UNC that looks exactly like a VF coin. This is another coin where it's a good idea to hold out for something resembling a normal strike, no matter what the cost. I lucked into a gorgeous VF+ for my set.

 

Terrific thread, we need more like it!

 

James

[HaydenTubbs]

[CTcollector]

Thanks. Lets keep these types of posts coming....

[EZ_E]

Have you tried getting a job?

 

Well, KFC is considering hiring me as their third butter cutter. And I always have a standing offer from Hayden Tubbs to spam the sites about his e-bay auctions. And Chris has offered me a job as a houseboy but I'd have to wear a loincloth so I'll probably pass on that one.

 

[TomB]

These are the types of threads that add true value to boards.

[IGWT]

These are the types of threads that add true value to boards.

 

Lovin' it.

[HaydenTubbs]

Have you tried getting a job?

 

Well, KFC is considering hiring me as their third butter cutter. And I always have a standing offer from Hayden Tubbs to spam the sites about his e-bay auctions. And Chris has offered me a job as a houseboy but I'd have to wear a loincloth so I'll probably pass on that one.

 

 

 

[Bruceswar]

thanks for a great thread

[just carl]

Not really sure of what you mean about the 3 legged Buffalo Nickel. I've got 3 complete sets of Buffalo Nickels. All 3 have the 3 legged Buffalo. All 3 were bought in slabbed coin holders and were the real thing. All 3 of the small inside feathers look the same as the regurlar 37D right next to them. All the regular 37D's do have 4 legs. Therefore not sure what you mean. I checked all of them with a 14X magnifier and they all looked the same.

I remeber when I was a kid and Buffalo Nickels were standard in change. A freind of mine and myself used to do things like erase one of the legs on the Buffalo. We were never sure which leg was not supposed to be there so we took turns deleting different legs. We also changed 1944D lincolns into 1914D's. We were little kids with a lot of time on our hands and sure thought that was fun.

[Buffalo_Pete]

Just Carl:

 

Thanks for replying to my post.

 

Maybe I should say that all 3 feathers are there, but the smallest one is partially missing.

 

In the same effort to re-work the die for the same reasons that created the 3-legs, a portion of the inside of the smallest feather was polished away, or as they now say, abraided.

 

Look real close and you will see that it does not attach to the back of the Indians head. It kinda looks like it's "floating".

 

Maybe I should call it a 2 3/4 feather?

 

Hope this helps.........

 

Pete

[James_OldeTowne]

I'll add one more thing. This series is notorious for embossed mintmarks on the scarcer coins. I'm sure I've seen at least a dozen embossed "S" mintmarks, and a couple of "D"s as well.

 

What they would do is drill a tiny hole into the edge of the coin where the mintmark would be, insert some kind of tool and push up the metal where the mintmark is supposed to go. Then, they would fill in the hole and file the rim back down, and then re-engrave a mintmark into the pushed-up metal. It is absolutely, totally essential to check the rim of any scarce mintmarked dates before you buy. Only buy certified if you're not sure what to look for, but if you get an opportunity to look at a known altered coin, take the opportunity to add to your education.

 

I know a dealer who once bought a gorgeous XF set, and both the 1913-S T2 and the 1926-S had embossed mintmarks.

 

James

[Coin]

Is there only one kind of 1938 D/S or D/D that is recognized by NGC? I just sent in one of each under 'mint error' and they came back as plain ole 1938 D . You can not see the overmintmark without a 10x , but with a loupe I can see the overmintmark. Is the kind they grade plain under naked eye or something or do I need to send them to another service ? I know that NGC grades the mint error of D/S as I can see one on Ebay in an NGC holder. What gives?Anyone with more experience with Indian/Buffalos know?