I've decided to keep doing these types of threads so that I can 1) learn to better grade, and 2) get some (in)direct advice on whether or not I should submit these to one of the TPGs. I started to number these so that I can keep a log to look back on when I try and figure out which coins to submit, and to make a fun little game to see how they graded by the TPG. Anyway, what would you grade these as? Then we can compare grades in the "spoiler", and see how off I am with my grade and analysis lol. Thanks in advance! 1913 Buffalo Nickel Type 1 Spoiler MS-62 There's some noticeable wear on the bison's head area; however, graded examples I've seen of similar "wear" leads me to believe that it's the striking quality and/or the level of die wear. 1904 Great Britain Florin Spoiler MS-60 / MS-61 There seems to be too much noise for it to be MS-63 level, but enough of the design elements appear to be there so as not to be an AU-58 grade. I am a bit concerned about the obverse hairlines; however, they appear to be more-or-less scattered in bursts rather than long and in parallel to suggest more harsh and/or deliberate cleaning / polishing.
Your T1 Buff is difficult for me, due to the striking characteristics of the type. I will pass on rendering any judgment there, but nothing in the high AU or low MS range would surprise me much. For that reason, I'll accept your grading opinion since I don't have any strong convictions of my own on this one. I have no such doubts in my convictions about your British florin. It is clearly an AU coin. There is noticeable rub on Britannia's left breast and arm, not to mention both legs and the top edge of her shield. The obverse of Edward VII coins are difficult to grade because of the texture of his sparse, wispy hair. But the scattered obverse marks you noticed are not uncommon on lightly circulated pieces, and they don't throw up any major red flags for me. Your florin here is only an AU, and I personally would only go AU50-53 on it. That being said, the toning is nice, and I'm sure with luster present that looks nicer in hand. This is a lovely type, and despite over twenty years of collecting various British coins, I've somehow managed to not have any of those yet. Both nice coins in this thread, though I think you're still grading on the high side.
The buffalo from the pictures is a very nice coin. Is that a very slight die crack below Liberty? I know it is a weak strike, but is it slight wear on Liberty and the end of the tail feather? AU 58? I do better with the coin under a good halogen light.
I think you're right - there's a faint die crack below LIBERTY. And, there's a die clash on the reverse, on the bison's back below E PLURIBUS UNUM.
I would say the Buffalo could go MS, but is more likely an AU coin. Is there something going on with the forehead area? Pitting, corrosion, dirt, or just the picture? The British coin I like more than the Buffalo. I am with @lordmarcovan that it is AU, but I could see it going AU 55 from a TPG. I like the overall look and think the subtle color is a bonus! I would definitely not send the Buffalo Nickel to a TPG, but the Florin might be worth a gamble. Although, I personally would not pay about $20 for grading it. I only found one example on ebay that is currently listed and none that sold in the last three months, so that might signal that there isn't much interest in slabbing these coins. Checking Heritage, shows a few more examples. In the 2016-2017 period, only 3 have sold; an MS 63 ($376) and two AU 55s ($114 & $141). Take a look at the two AU 55 examples and see how your own compares: ($114 sale) https://coins.ha.com/itm/great-brit...-64262.s?ic4=ListView-ShortDescription-071515 ($141 sale) https://coins.ha.com/itm/great-brit...-64261.s?ic4=ListView-ShortDescription-071515
For the GB Florin, the second NGC one looks much better than the first PCGS (older slab) one. I think that my example is definitely either an NGC AU-55 or a PCGS AU-58, relatively speaking. As for the Buffalo, I think that it has the potential for a very low MS grade as an upper limit (at least a better grade than the Florin). I think that so long as I break even on the submission costs, I'd be fine with any margin above that.
I would think that the Florin has potential, depending on how much you paid. The Buffalo as an MS 63 sells for under $50 (sometimes quite a bit less, see link below). Given about $20 to grade and various fees for selling on ebay, you would only break even if the coin was free. As is, I think that buffalo nickel can sell for $15-$30. So I would not recommend grading. However, it is your own decision to make after considering all the pros and cons. Here is the MS 63 buffalo that sold for $36.25 shipped: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1913-INDIAN...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
