This is my first post as a coin collector as I have recently acquired my first coins from my grandma. The coin in question is a 1936 Buffalo Nickel with an 'S' Mint. I am curious of its value but even more its potential flaws. I am asking about this coin because it is the least like any of the other Buffalo Nickels i inherited. It is extremely shiny or glossy, as if it were chrome. Has it been polished? My first instinct was that the coin was actually fake, but it is alike in size and weight. The condition is excellent in comparison to the other nickels of the similar period, and though the pictures posted may not reveal the actual quality, it has significantly less wear than any buffalo nickel i have. More than anything I would like to know if the coin has been cleaned or polished so that I can prevent these types of coins from entering my collection. Thanks! Aaron
Well, I know it's not a 'Proof' as proof coins were only produced at Philly in that time frame. Perhaps an overzealous dip/cleaning? Either way, welcome to the forum dear fellow.....
Welcome to CoinTalk Aaron. From the photos I would say your nickel has been cleaned. Like Green18 said, probably polished and/or over dipped. The surfaces are too clean and shiny for the amount of wear displayed on the coin. When a coin is said to be dipped, that means it's been placed in a chemical solution that will clean the coin often too harshly, giving it that un-natural shiny appearance. As you become a more experienced collector, you will develop an eye for cleaned coins. You are correct in wanting to avoid cleaned coins. Most other collectors also don't want cleaned coins in their collections. Thus their value is often rock bottom. So congrats on identifying your first cleaned coin. Glad you asked, that's what this forum is for. Good luck to you and happy collecting!
i would agree the coin was polished and cleaned i dont really know y because it is a very common coin that can be picked up for a few dollars but hey congrats on your first coin and good luck with your future hunting !!! it is a great hobby and thier are a lot of great people on this forum that will drop everything and help !! Best regards Sean
Welcome Aaron. Do you have any books on numismatics? If not, you should look into starting a reference library. Books will end up saving you large amounts of money and help give your collecting direction and quality. Let us know - many forum members would love to assist you in this.
Thank you all for the very helpful information. I am glad that I decided to join this forum, am even more excited about coin collecting now!
I just purchased a 1936 S Buffalo nickel that is extremely fine-about uncirculated. It looks really good. It only has a couple of scratches(cannot see with the naked eye)that I can see with my coin magnifying glass. My concern is, on the eye of the Buffalo, it's pupil has a perfectly round bright blue color, as if the animal had blue eyes. It is very neat to see the blue on the pupil. I'm new at coin collecting. What do you think about the coin? Been polished-etc.?
I suggest starting your own thread under the forum “What’s It Worth.” A lot of members don’t pay attention to old threads such as this one. Post some pictures and you’ll get some help.
I am so sorry ....trying to post picture, and I think I did multiple post. I have 1937 Philadelphia buffalos that look very similar! So I was posting a pic for comparison. I posted on another coin site and they all thought they were polished too. One guy wanted a second look, but I have not heard. I think for those of us just new to this, all that glitters is gold
Posting pics is easy, simply click on the Upload a File button and follow the prompts when you want to post a pic.
