I was recently looking through my buffalo nickels and noticed something really strange. It appears the "E" in five was struck incorrectly. Are there others out there with this error? Does it add to the value.
If someone can explain how the lower leg of the E has shifted upward I will agree. This image is from 120 power magnification. My intent is not to dispute but rather figure out how or what caused this abnormality.
Coins can collect all sorts of amazing damage, some of it deliberate. They are far from indestructible.
the coin could have taken a nasty hit in 1937 which pushed up the leg of the E and has been wearing down ever since to make it look like it does today..
There can be a multitude of ways for damage to occur, but only a limited way errors/varieties can occur during the minting process. Instead of saying "I don't understand how this could hAve been damaged, therefore it must be an error", you need to ask "how could this have occurred at the mint". There is no way your coin could have left the mint like that. It couldn't occur in the die making process of the striking process. No way to say for certain what caused the damage but it's consistent with displaced metal from a hit or gouge. Hope this helps
The bottom line in the E has taken a hit and been pushed upwards. Damaged, not an error. Good eye to spot that. Welcome to CT.
I have to agree with the others that it was hit and pushed the bottom leg upwards. I can see the gouge mark where the leg should be in your magnified image. No other coins like it have been listed in any books I'm aware of. None of my 1937 show this type of damage and if it happened in the minting process (which I can't see how it could) there would be other examples. Right?
Why are the closeups so grainy? Is that from the image resolution? Or did this coin get treated with Nic-a-date?
