Excuse the pic, I can't seem to get a good enough color pic of this nickel. I bought this beauty and I couldn't help but think that the coin dealer had burnt me. When I looked at it under a loupe I saw this area which looked like someone had taken some silver and filled in a crack in the coin. I took it to a coin show b/c I wanted to see what a couple others would say. Anyways, they both said that I have a gem planchet error. It's really a beautifully toned gem, both sides. Anyone ever see a nickel like this? One of the coin dealers told me that during this year and others the US mint was having problems with their planchets. Anyone?
Alright, I'll bring it up again after I figure out how to get some good pics taken. :kewl: Ok I'm back with the best pics I could take. I've been told that this crack that looks like it's filled with silver is a planchet error. Has anyone heard of this year buffalo having planchet problems?
Planchet problems in the early 30's with buffalo's? If my pic still isn't good enough, I'll be back in a few months. Incidentally I know it says cracked die on the flip but I was told by 3 coin dealers that it's a planchet error. I wrote cracked die, my bad. Heck I don't really know the difference. One of the dealers said that in these years there was a problem with planchets. anyone heard that?
The pics are entirely too small and I have no idea what part of the nickel is in question. By your description, "...[a] crack that looks like it's filled with silver," it sounds like it could be a die crack to me, but again we need to see a picture to be able to make an educated guess. As far as the Dealers' assessments are concerned, they may be right or totally wrong. If they don't deal with errors and varieties I give them no better than a 50/50 chance at being right. Try taking your pics using a digital camera with a macro setting (usually on the dial with a flower icon) and getting really close to the area in question. Postscript: after downloading the picture and zooming in I guess it is the area on the upper portion of the braid. Seems like a strange place for a planchet problem to appear, but I'll let some buffalo nickel experts chime in as they may know something I don't...
Pictures really are not good enough to draw a conclusion. 1931-S Buffalo had a fairly low mintage - somewhere around 1.2 million. With a mintage as short as this coin - such a die crack would more than likely be a major feature on a large percentage of 31-S buffaloes. Which makes me lean more towards lamination, planchet error or post mint damage.
Well I'm back. The error is right on the Indian's braid or tie where normally there wouldn't be anything. I mean there shouldn't be a braid at that location. Is this a cracked die? A laminate crack or simply caused by a bad planchet and that's the name a bad planchet error? Anyone?
Hi, The problem is that lamination errors are plentiful on early nickels. Most often it is the case on Indian Head nickels that a lamination error detracts from the overall appearance of the coin. It may cause an error person to add a few dollars to the price of the coin but it often causes the regular collector and dealer to deduct a few dollars from the value of the coin. It is a common error type on Indian Head Nickels as well as most nickels prior to 1950 or so. So in this case the error can hurt the coin rather than help it. Thanks, Bill
planchet error Here is a scan of a 5 cent 51 S I have. Collectable itself, but has what I suspect is a planchet clip (curved) on the edge.
lamination errors Keeping in theme with this thread, here's a scan of two lamination errors I have. Both are 2006. Both are without Nickle on the reverse.
