It looks as though you have a variety 1 1913 in XF condition, which should put it somewhere between $20 and $25, so you made out ok. It is a very nice coin though.
Would you please share what exactly doesn't look right? I weighed it and everything seems to be in order.
For starters, the Indian's face doesn't look right. The Indian on your coin seems to be grimacing like he's in pain (look especially at the left side of his mouth). The nostril also seems to be exaggerated, and the L in LIBERTY looks slanted and doesn't seem to match up with the same place on the Indian's forehead that mine does. Also, the place where the neck meets the chin doesn't seem right. On the reverse, the lettering seems to be inconsistent (maybe it's the angle of the shot).
Good points, but I`d say it is a matter of photo angle and wear, which made certain elements look bigger/deeper than they are on an UNC coin. I got it from an eBay seller with quite reputable 100% positive feedback... Not sure if there is a way to know for sure except slabbing.
Inexpensive? The original poster paid $15.50 for a coin that contains about 6 cents worth of metal. Because it is relatively common, people are less likely to scrutinize it. And did you even compare the original poster's coin with mine?
Perhaps if you took photos from directly overhead, with the obverse and reverse in upright positions, it might be easier to make comparisons. And I will post some digital pictures of my 1913's later today.
When they counterfeit a 1957-D CIRCULATED 1957-D wheat cent, they will counterfeit anything. And, yes, I have seen them for sale on eBay marked as copy. Go figure. However, the only thing I see different with the OP's coin is that it is a much better strike.
You say "International Shipping" was included in the price. Did it come from China, by any chance? Most Chinese sellers have 99-100% ebay feedback.
Now that you have pointed some things out I think you are right, the L in Liberty does look slanted and higher up on the forehead area. It could be the angle of the pic but if that was the case would not all the letters look slanted and not just the L?
Well, yeah, how did you know? Chinese fellow, 27 feedbacks, all positive, he sold mouse pads until now! Actually the seller was from US, i learned a couple of things after using eBay for 10 years. Now, about the LIBERTY "L"... I just looked again at the coin under x30 and x60, the problem with the L is that the vertical part is slightly more covered with patina, while the horizontal part is a bit more shiny. The entire "liberty" on the photo is also out of focus due to macro shot, so the picture gives an absolutely wrong impression. I can show you a new photo, but you can safely disregard this issue, the L is perfect in location and size. P.S. Enlarge the image (http://www.cointalk.com/attachments/128045d1309169635-5c-2.jpg) and you will see the L is fine, just the tip is reflecting more light than the rest of it.
I still think you should take more pictures of the coin, from straight overhead, with obverse and reverse both aligned straight up. Even with the enlargement, the L doesn't look right, and it also looks to be in the wrong place in relation to the Indian's forehead.
How about now? I think the L is slightly disfigured due to dirt/patina and wear combination. Don't pay attention to the white dots, its just dust/paper particles. My environment is not very sterile right now.
This coin (in my opinion) is genuine. I've seen quite a few "replica" buffalos; the detail on this coin is just too good. Most fakes have problems with the feather detail, designer's initial, rim seperation and an overall appearance of "mushiness" under magnification. Here's a current example of a buffalo "replica" on eBay (the replica stamp will not be there); note the lack of detail: http://cgi.ebay.com/Replica-Buffalo...81?pt=Coins_US_Individual&hash=item415b31d23d
Compared to this fellow from PCGS: I`d say the only problem is the L, which got its look from wear and uneven patina. Location and size is in order.
