Hello all! Found this bad boy while sorting through my auctioneer friend's coins. Have taken it to 6 local dealers, right now the current score is 4 (real) to 2 (fake.) Just wanted to get your thoughts on it (it's going to be mailed to NGC this week regardless, at his request, to know for sure.) If it ends up being real, I'm going to buy it (as probably the coolest find I've uncovered in his stuff...just sitting there in a book of crappy Buffalo nickels...) Thanks for the opinions!
Looks like it has honest wear and no "modifications" from my eye, it is real. I do agree that certification for this coin is a good idea though. What is a coin like this worth, anyway?
An authentic 3 legged Buffalo nickel has certain characteristics that are unique to the coin. One being that E PLURIBUS UNUM is supposed to be a noticeable distance from the bison's back, easily seen without the use of a magnifying glass. This checks out as most faked nickels have E PLURIBUS UNUM practically touching the back of the buffalo. The 4th leg looks weak as it should and the "drizzle" under the belly, the raised dots, are there. The beard is also correct in my opinion. Congrats, I think it's real. Stay away from the two dealers who say it is fake in the future, or ask them if they have any fake 3 legged buffalos they want to sell cheap.
Well, its looks as if he is peeing! Leg looks rough, as does the neck, so I am just about positive she is good.
I just pulled mine out of the safe it's graded vf-20 and yours has many of the same characteristics that mine has. I would venture to say it's real.
The fabulous part of this is that one of the votes for "fake" was from someone who just came back from NGC's grading school... I think I'd agree with "real" and with a grade of VF...putting it somewhere in the $650-900 range. Depends on what my friend would charge me...but he probably paid .15 for it. And I'm at very least the third person to look at these coins...including whoever bought it and whoever "received" it...and I'm the only one to notice the error. Of course, it helped that the previous owner had circled the coin in the album and wrote "3-legged?" lol I was just excited about the find!
It is a 3-Legged. You might want to look at this thread, especially where I show the "hoof" of the missing leg [art. People who try to fake it never gets that part correct on an altered coin http://www.cointalk.com/t63603/ Also the obverse is very conclusive also. Alterations do not have the correct damage on the obverses, your does. The feather closest to the neck floats with no connection The back of the neck is rough The forehead is damaged die Roughness of side of neck near braid A die crack along the front edge of the braid. ( I can't see this in the photo , but you can verify. Jim
That's what the dealer told me, it was he and his daughter that said it was fake...told me she was in training to be an NGC grader. They both laughed and said it was obviously fake... Although, I have to admit, I thought to myself, "I don't think I'm going to ask for your opinions any more..." And I smirked quietly to myself.
No, they just laughed and handed it back to me, then repeated "If the buffalo's a ****in, the leg must be a-missin" about five times, I suppose so I'd remember it. Because I don't know anything about coins, apparently. EDIT: Sorry, didn't know that was a boo-boo doodie word.
I love those kind of dealers! I have bought several that were called fakes, but luckily PCGS and NGC agreed with me. Now I specifically look at the raw ones. Some of those dealers keep telling me I have to look at the back, not the front I just say Oh, OK.
