A few days ago I got an email from GreatCollections. I noticed a listing for a 1913 Type 1 Buffalo nickel. Since I have one that is ungraded, I decided to take a look and see what mine might be worth. This is mine. The auction has completed and their MS66 coin sold for $220. Here are some points of comparison between the coin above and the auctioned coin. The excerpts are from the image by GreatCollections. (Technically, they are copyrighted by them and used here under the "fair use" clause of the copyright statutes for commentary and, I hope, educational purposes.) I have some trouble telling a trace of wear on high points from an incomplete strike that does not fill out the high points. Perhaps you can help me out. Strike at center of hair on obverse (auction at left, the coin above at right): Detail of mound, initial, and the end of braids Obverse rim E Pluribus Unum At any rate, you get the idea. The auctioned coin is an MS66 and sold for $220. Is this coin better in all regards or not? How would you grade the one at the top of the post, and what do you think that is worth? Postscript: The dealer at the LCS had this raw nickel and offered it to me. He had just received a batch of coins back from NGC and was universally disappointed. So he looked at this one and said "I think it may have a full horn". I had it for a year before my photographs improved enough to see it in detail. He sold it to me for $20. Is it an AU, MS67, or somewhere in between?
I paid around 120.00 for this raw one if I remember correctly ,picture doesn't do justice to the coin in hand since it was imaged with a scope. It should be back from grading sometime after the 6th. The 1913 type 1 all seem to have the same weak strike areas. I believe that this should at least be a 65/66 grade. I believe that a 65 coin is in the $150.00+/- range. My coin again isn't as dark as shown the color has been enhanced on the computer but it does show the same weak areas on its strike. I am sure that it's a full horn. As to your question the ms 66 is a weaker strike than both your's and mine. That gives me hope now that having others to compare to. Your images with the pictures jumping are harder to read. Post one or the other views or both but still images ! Comparing yours and mine to theirs I think all 3 are in the 65/66 range with maybe a plus +. Again hard to nail down on a image that's moving, as well as what the grader based their opinions on. All 3 specimens are nice coins but will admit both yous and mine are better fuller strikes.
From what I can see prices on a 66 are at 230-260 low high range with the trend on a downward movement . A 67 in the 900-1025 and again on a downward slide. However still a big difference price wise on a 1 point spread. $700 +/-. With a 68 being 5 figure coin and moon money.
Looking at some 66 and above 1913 type 1 coins I am hopeful that mine goes 66 . I will settle for a 65 + or *. I posted yesterday that my personal opinion on buffalo's is that graders in general have a hard time understanding what they are looking at. It seems that grades are all over the map, due to weak strikes,surfaces etc. I see really nice coins given grades to me should of been higher,others that are no were near the given grade.
Of course! That was an oversight on my part. I should have done that initially. And that coin is just gorgeous. These are rescaled down to 800x800 pixels, but the originals are only a little bigger than that anyway.
Now compare the two specimens both are very sweet looking coins. But if you start to look at feathers, jaw line, lettering , horns ,date, split tails ,and other devices both have details better struck then the other . This is why I believe that graders have a difficult time adjusting their knowledge of the series to the surface as well devices. Both coins have plus ' s over the other yet both coins are great coins. I love to know exactly what their looking for on a buffalo. And that could be very subjective when it comes to this series.
So Ron what do you personally think that these two would grade at? Maybe we should do a thread on guessing what they would grade comparing the two. Like I said mine is during back the first week of March.
My wife and I are off to breakfast, but I am going to give this some serious thought. I have only 5 Buffaloes, two are graded, and they are both MS65. I will compare them all in hand. Looking at the auction, it's hard not to believe that our coins have better color and better strikes, and should grade at least as high, if not higher than, the auction specimen. But if these were both MS67, that would be serious money for what we invested!!
True dat....I think it would be fun to start a thread using both your's and mine. And see from the members what type of grades they would give them. Maybe even make the give a reason for their choices. Split tail, full horn, etc....as for the colors and eye appeal yes somewhat but that's not what grades a coin that's to me something extra,to others if they are blast white they aren't interested in the toning . I believe that doing this will be a teaching lesson for us all as again the buffalo is a different animal to grade .
If one is 66 why should the other not grade the same, each has spectacular lines even down to the feather on the back of the head.
Ron s 1913 type 1 ms 66 closed yesterday at $200. &$20 buyers Premium . Compared to both your's and mine I believe that for both specimens ms 66 is spot on grade. I cannot download the image however pcgs slab # 3915.66/82473732 My experience in the past is pcgs nickels tend to grade higher than ngc.
True both specimens are very nice, both are raw st present one is at Anacs now waiting to be graded. Ron and I are wondering if the would go 66 or higher.
Absolutely it should, but subjective grading could hinder it. Depends one the ones who look at it. That I don't like.
@Paddy54 , you are welcome to share this thread. The more I can learn about these beautiful coins the more I will enjoy it. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one perplexed by the grading.
ok cool... I will write up a new thread of GTG and see what others think of the two coins. head to head so to speak as well as their views on grading this series.
