Choose the Better Buffalo (23-S or 27-D) -- Photos by Todd

I like the 1923 better. The nicer strike and the beautiful gold toning make it a nicer coin IMHO.

 

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Well, the 23-S won in landslide. Not too surprising given the golden toning, the better central strike and the fact that the 23-S is slightly rarer in Gem than the 27-D.

HOWEVER, let me add two reasons why this is not as straightforward as some would think: (1) the central strike of the 27-D is notoriously soft. Bowers' book states that the Denver Mint did a "sloppy job coining the issue, with the result that most coins range from poorly detailed to minimally average." The 23-S on the other hand is well above average for strike, particularly for a 20s-San Francisco Buffalo. (2) lettering near the rim for the 23-S as well as the "1" in the date are both less than full (both common problems for Buffalos).

In the end, I am with the crowd.:thumb::secret::thumb:. And as usual, I have learned a bit about my own coins from others. Thanks for the responses.