Nice coin. I probably would have paid a little less as MS 66 examples for this date are common. I look for coins with a strong LIBERTY.
I find the best and most current price guide to be the actual prices for which coins are currently selling on eBay. By that standard, $38 for a PCGS-65 1938-D Buffalo is a bit on the high side but not unreasonable, as they seem to be selling for about $35 currently. Also, this one is nicer than many on the market, although nicer 1938-D Buffs are easy to find. One PCGS-65 recently sold for $36 and I'd much rather own this 1938-D at $38 than the other at $36. So FWIW, I think he has a very nice coin and at $38 I think he did okay.
Suggestion: When you see a coin you like on eBay, look up recent selling prices for the same coin. You can search for any coin, like say 1938-D Buffalo NGC MS65. On the left side of your screen, if you scroll down you'll find a clickable option for "Completed auctions", which will show similar coins which recently ended. Click on "Sold auctions" and you'll only see the ones which actually sold. You'll notice that some are gorgeous, some are hideous, and most are somewhere in between - you'll usually have many choices available. Few coins are actually rare, many are scarce and many are super-common as well. The 1938-D Buffalo is a very common coin which is easy to find in top condition.
actually, it's a Five Cents piece, it doesn't say nickel anywhere on it, and there is no such denomination. As for it's composition, it's mostly copper.
- And while the Canadians DID strike some in nearly pure nickel, they never used the term either. The study of compositions of Canadian 5 cent pieces is dizzying stuff. It's tied up with the finding of massive nickel deposits near Sudbury, Ontario. That wiped out the until-then largest known deposit in Nickel Mines, Lancaster County, PA.
While it is true that "nickel" is not a denomination, I think the word has caught on with collectors. You may wish to notify the Redbook's Senior Editor, Ken Bressett that he needs to make some corrections with regard to nickel five-cent pieces too! Some examples: 1. "...Indian Head nickels.." 2. "...designed this nickel,..." 3. "This nickel..." 4. 5. etc. . . . 20. Heading: "Westward Journey" Nickels
Ah yes, the eternal struggle between convention and accuracy. Sign me up for Team Accuracy. As Phillies broadcaster Larry Anderson says, "It's all about the accuracy, pal."
You did well on that '38-D. A couple of issues you might want to pay attention to with this series is the strike and die state. The Branch Mint issues often show problems with both of these up through 1934. Buffalo nickels also have a number of nice and often valuable die varieties-doubled dies and abraded die varieties are two types. A good choice for an early date at a reasonable price would be the 1913 variety one coin. These can be had for around $50 slabbed and graded MS63. This date shows the design rendered as it was meant to be by James Fraser, the designer of the coin.
That is funny. The mint calls them nickels. They mint nickels. It they are not what we get, just where do the nickels go? https://catalog.usmint.gov/silver-proof-set-2016-16RH.html?cgid=proof-sets#start=1
