Is this a fake Buffalo Nickel Proof?

I just purchased this coin at an estate sale. It was the only coin in the estate and I was the first person there. It really looks like a proof in hand. A very mirrored surface on both sides. The only thing thats bothering me is the buffalo horn. Shouldnt it be sharper and more full? I know there are a few weakly struck dates, but not 1937, and not on a proof right? Can this be a real proof? The mirrored surface looks just like a modern proofs.

 

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Looks like its a worn coin that's been harshly polished...

 

Breen's encyclopedia said that the 37 proofs had good sharpness, even of the deails and to beware of polished because the brilliant finish. As far as I can see on your coin, the edge/rim doesn't appear as a proof would as they appear slightly beveled as for circulation. Hard to see by photos. IMO.

Jim

 

I can tell you it is not a proof. The strike is not even close to being full. It isn't even like it was a circulated proof. The strike was never there.

I really cannot tell from the photos, bit if it looks proof like to you, my guess is it was polished.

I do think the coin is genuine though.

Mike

 

Thanks desertgem, youre very knowledgable on buffalo proofs it seems.
Id hate to think its polished. If anything it must have been dipped. The mirrored reflection is just too good.
I thought perhaps it could be a circulated proof.
Id like to send it in to get graded by anacs on the cheap.
Should I not even bother?

 

I wouldn't bother. I hope you didn't have a costly mistake. Either the person was out to rip people off or they had no idea what they were doing.

 

I wouldn't have it graded, it's been harshly cleaned/polished, and a 1937 isn't worth all that much to begin with, excluding the extremely high grades, of course.

 

Do not throw good money after bad, it is not a circulated proof. How would the surface stay prooflike if it was circulate enough to wear down the horn? The area above the knot in the braid, it is not showing it was a proof type of strike. If would look different there with a little notch if it was a full strike, even with some wear.

Mike

 

Need better pic.

 

looks polished to me....

 

It doesn't appear to be "fake" to me, but it does appear to me to be a polished business struck coin. The strike is not nearly strong enough to be a proof. This is what a proof buff looks like:




See the squared off lettering? That's what a proof buff's strike looks like.

NOTE: The above is a satin proof, so it doesn't have mirrored surfaces.

 

Thanks Leadfoot. Im still confused on the mirror surface. I really cant see a business strike being polished this well though.
I thinking its been dipped in another kind of metal or something.

 

Just to take Leadfoots point a little farther. I have circled an area on hs proof. Notice the notches or grooves. This is indicitive of a full strike on BUFFS. It is actaully the area around the notches that has filled all the recesses of the die. But when these grooves are present when struck, the will not disappear with just "light" wear, it takes more substantial wear to eliminate them. So on a coin with only light wear, it is still possible to determine if it was a full strike or not. That is why we can take circulated proof ofthe table. Also, the coin does not need to be a proof to show these grooves. Buisness strikes that are fully struck will also show them.

 

Good point, the same can be said for the strike of FIVE CENTS on the reverse. Whereas the date and LIBERTY can get some wear, just about no manner of light wear on a proof buff will obliterate the square nature of the lettering in this recessed area on proofs.

Once you've seen a few proof buffs, the point about the strike around the lettering becomes obvious. Even the best business struck coins won't be as square as the weakest proof.

 

Oh, really sweet nickel BTW

 

I agree.

 

Sounds like you are comparing the shiny surface to modern "brilliant" proofs.
Back then, the proofs were not "brilliant" or "cameo" like they are today.
Proofs were "satin" finish, and the big deal was the super sharp nature of the strike, not shiny surface.
I believe your coin was polished.

 

i dont believe the coin to be a fake i do however believe it is a polished circulated business strike as everyone else said. it was probably cleaned with tarnex or brasso

 

Not for 1937. They were brilliant, but no cameo effects. 1936 type 1 were satin, but they also produced a brilliant later that year as a 1936 type 2

Jim

 

It's a polished business strike. Worth perhaps twenty-five cents or so.