I hemmed and hawed a lot but it has all of the markers for an authentic 3 legged Buffalo, so I blew my entire coin account money and bought this. Thoughts on grade would be welcomed. I was thinking AU55+. It's a nice strike at least.
Are those carbon spots on the neck and behind the feather? The hits around the missing leg could be a concern but it looks like the other diagnostics check out.
I have several threads in the past 2008-2011 and I feel very sure yours is real. Most people do not realize the obverse is also diagnostic. Check this thread start post #9 https://www.cointalk.com/threads/is-this-a-3-leg-1937-d-buffalo-nickel.195191/#post-1305395 Jim
The coin might have been cleaned. I don't like the look of the surfaces in the photo, and the "rust" under the bison's belly is usually better defined. The incentives for getting nice examples of this coin certified are high. When I was dealer, these coins were easy to sell in a certification holder. You didn't make a ton on money unless you had the coin certifed yourself, but the turnover was really fast. That's why I'd be hesitant about buying a raw one via the Internet.
I was lucky, All were purchased raw and I was aware of the scratched one, and was hoping on the toned genuine one, but got the code 91 I still like the color. I think the idea that most on ebay are fake, helps those that do know the diagnostics to get them more reasonably, but the price has increased since these 7-10 years ago. Jim
My purpose is to build a complete Buffalo Nickel collection of AU to BU nickels in the raw as I prefer not to have them slabbed and the price makes most of them more affordable. Not planning on reselling them.
