1919-s upsidedown variety, anyone heard of variety?

Pick-a-nik · 06-01-2009, 08:39 PM

Hello, I recently went to a coin show and picked out 5 1919-s buffalo's from a dealers box of nickels, one of which clearly has an inverted or upsidedown s mint mark. I havn't ever heard or read anything about upsidedown s's on buffalo nickels and wondered if anyone knows anything about this date or other dates with known upsidedown mint marks in the buff. series. I also have alot of acid dated buff's and went thru all my 19-s's to see if I could find another upside down mint mark but they where all normal.

SeaEagleCoins · 06-16-2009, 07:14 PM

I have never heard of such a variety...and I just checked thru all my Buff reference books as well as the Cherrypickers Guide... no mention of such a thing.

I would be curious to see such a coin...if you have any way to put "good" clear pics up on the post, that would certainly help...perhaps a pic of this "upside down S" along with another regular one...side by side...

Pick-a-nik · 06-17-2009, 11:31 PM

Hello, I've attached some scans; sorry for the quality but it's the best my scanner does. The first picture shows a typical s mint mark (I believe this one is a 18-s), the second is the 19-s inverted s mint mark, and the third is the same only with coin upsidedown showing s looking normal upsidedown). I remember seeing another inverted s mint mark advertised on Ebay sometime ago , as I remember it was a 25-s. I have no doubt about my 1919-s, it is quite obvious especially when viewed under loope, clearer than scan shows. It is much like the 1928-s inverted s on standing quarters and 1941-s on jefferson nickels, both of which are listed in various books, I posted the buffalo because I'd never seen inverted mint marks listed or mentioned in any literature for buffalo nickels. Hope the scans show enough detail to allow people to tell what I'm talking about.

SeaEagleCoins · 06-17-2009, 11:54 PM

Pic a nic --- sure looks like an inverted mint mark to me. I suppose you could email Ron Pope...he has written a book on Abraded Die Varieties (and other anomolies) of the Buffalo Nickel as well as helping to write the Authoratative Reference on Buffalo Nickels, along with Kevin Flynn and John Wexler. His email is coinquest_sixtyone@yahoo.com ... he has it in his Abraded Die Varieties book and offers to look at any possible varieties. You would need to attach the best pics possible. Perhaps he could help shed some light on this...whether it is really what it looks like... is it rare or common? etc...