GTG: Buffalo Nickel

I see high point areas of slight wear. My guess is AU 58. However, commercial grading probably has it at MS 61 to 63 range.
Dan

 

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Very possible. Buffalo nickels can be tough to grade. I think Dave Bowers made a comment on grading the 1913 proofs with matt finish. He said it's very hard to tell the difference between a proof 65 and proof 67. It seemed like it sounds like it's more of a guess. I have to admit I have both 1913's in proof 65 and if I compare them to pictures of proof 67's it's hard to tell the difference.

 

64ish.

 

One of the keys to grading is the surfaces, the difference has always been the amount of cameo/frost to the devices, nickels aren't really that hard when you study them.

 

I think this is a lower grade, maybe even an AU50. There appears to be wear on the reverse above the denomination and on the shoulders. I guess we will see....

 

Here is a bit bigger picture of it on top. For comparison, the picture below is an NGC graded MS-64. I don't think it's a 64 only because it doesn't have the luster for it anymore but the details aren't bad. Voting will end for this pretty soon so I'm bumping it to the top. Again, this is at NGC right now so I won't have a grade on it for a month or so. For the record, I voted MS-62.

 

Love the Buffalo Nickle Vess1. No nothing of grading but I know what I like. Beautiful coin. Have a bunch myself. One of my favorite coins and yours looks sweet.

 

I'm at MS-63. I'm not seeing the high-point rub that an AU-55 would have. If it were more lustrous, a higher grade than 63 would be warranted.

 

I've looked at the pics I don't know how many times and I just noticed the little rim nick behind the back leg of the buffalo. I hope they don't get carried away with that. I'm not sure what it takes before they say rim damage. The 64 kind of has something similar above the tail.

I think mine is struck better than the 64. There seems to be just a bit more definition in the mid section of the ribs and the shoulder area of the buffalo. It has some brown streaking from the alloys not fully mixing. It actually looks more pleasing in hand with a nice tone to it.

So far it's not even entered in the system yet. Got down there around Aug. 23rd and they're opening mail they received Aug. 9th as of Friday Sept. 3rd.

 

Guessing ms

 

Results are in. Hopefully everybody is sitting down! Drum roll please…..

AU Details- Whizzed! Lol I was floored. I would not have sent a coin with obvious cleaning marks and I could not see it under magnification. I guess this will be an interesting learning tool now. I’m not cracking it out.
I’m trying to figure out why it would have needed to be whizzed? I noticed in the comparison pic with the MS64 the ribbon above the braid and the body is much more well defined than that 64. It couldn’t have circulated. It never ceases to amaze me that a coin like this would have had to be messed with in this relatively short period of time to supposedly improve its eye appeal.

 

Really?that sure is surprising must be something they can see but we can't.

 

They have the coin in hand and can spot things like that. Good thing for experienced graders.

 

Wow, didn't see that coming. What do you want to bet that if you cracked and submitted again or to the other top TPG, it finds its way into a straight grade holder.

 

Whizzing will usually leave a build up of material next to the raised devices. I still can't see them.

 

Yeah I was just reading about that as I was re-reading The art and science of coin grading on my kindle. I will really have to take a second look at this one and look for that.

 

look at the rim again

 

Looking over this picture, I loved for an AU55 grade.... with ahuge caveat. This is based on the image. If I saw it in the hand, I could be easily convinced that the areas where I thought I saw slight wear were just weekenesses in the strike on the high points. This is common in Buffalos.

All that being said, I would JUMP on this coin at an AU grade because the strike detail is magnificant. It is so magnificant, that is why I am convinced that the very slight flattening is wear. If it was in my hands, I might easily change my mond an vote it to be an MS66.

The legs, horns, top of the hair, feathers, buffalo eyes... all in splended detail

 

well, then there is that. That was my real guess. It explains the flatness which is inconsistant with the details

FWIW - see the neck area of the obverse

 

The bottom pic is a straight graded MS64 example. Mine is the top pic. I found it odd that it didn't have better luster for the details remaining. I could not tell it was whizzed in hand. Like I said, I will have to look at it closely again once I get it back to try to figure out what they saw. It's a shame.