Research on US "brown nickels"

Move the decimal. $10K and up. Way up.

I've been known to spend stupid money for geeky test and sensor gear, but I can't go quite that far.

 

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Ha! I was mistaken.

 

this may just be really worn but if you're still looking I have this one dated 1926 I believe View attachment 698410 View attachment 698411

 

When anyone selects the link it comes with "Cointalk- Error. The requested image can not be accessed."

 

Sorry, I realized after I posted that it was probably just environmental damage so I tried to delete it but couldn't figure out how to do that either...soo doubled dumb...here are the pics anyways...

 

Just ran into your article researching my "brown nickels". As with you I was surprised no one else has commented on them, and assumed they were all a result of environmental damage.

 

I think most dark nickels you find in change are just environmentally damaged. There are lots of ways to turn a nickel dark once it leaves the mint, and it's pretty uncommon for one to get made with the wrong composition.

Welcome to CoinTalk!

 

I have a buffalo nickel that I can't see the date on it.. I would like to know what it is worth if anyone can help me with this

 

@Elisia Peasha, you might have more luck starting a new thread under “What is it worth?”

But a quick reply: unless your buffalo nickel is a key date it is worth a few cents over a nickel to someone who makes jewelry from them.

As far as a key date, look for only three legs on the reverse, the presence of a mint mark (a very small D or S) at the very bottom of the reverse (“back side” under the bison).

If you start a new thread post photos of the front and back. The date can be brought out with vinegar or an acid product that can be purchased at a coin store, but the chance your dateless nickel would be worth the cost of the acid (let alone the cost of gas to drive there) is slim to none.

Steve

 

I have been buying every black, brown or green buffalo that I find for years. I have many duplicates. Do you want to check each date and mint mark or do you want to check every one you run across? I can either loan my duplicates to you or trade them to you for Canada coins that I want. Contact me privately for details and to give me your mailing address.

 

wholesale price of a dateless buffalo is 6 to 8 cents. If it has a mintmark it can fetch ten cents. Wholesale price of common readable date buffalos is 14 to 18 cents in my area. Nice four digit date rolls of commons are easy to find at $8 per roll or 20 cents per coin. Price guides show much higher prices but few people buy them. High grades are easy sells at higher prices.

 

I have a 1964D Jefferson that I thought someone had coated in copper, but now that I've read this, I'll look a little closer at it.

 

I wish I could find buffalos at that price! In my area it is common practice to charge 75 cents and up for date less buffalo nickels.

 

That's why
I'm here

 

Hey everyone I also have a brown Buffalo nickels

 

Individual coin prices can be very high. My most recent purchase last year was a big coffee can full - half readable date / half slicks for $35 from a garage dealer who buys estates for the gold and silver and dumps the rest. He offered. I bought. I've also bought quantities of Canada five cent silvers for a buck apiece. Buy what's available and there are always deals out there. Get known as the guy who buys excess stock cheap and you will have deals beating a path to your door. You can examine a sample of what is offered. You will not be allowed to cherry pick until you own it. The easier and quicker you are to deal with the more deals you will get. Those who are greedy and hard to deal with wither on the vine because people won't put up with bad treatment.

 

So this is very interesting to me. I am a cashier at a hardware store. I always check my change when counting my drawer. Today I was very excited to have found a 1916 S Buffalo Head Nickel!! I was soooo excited. But it in color is completely brown. Edges and all. It has very little wear for as old as it is, but the color threw me off, which is what lead me to search about it, which lead me to this forum! lol I was debating on trying to clean it, but I guess I wont. But it is definitely very interesting!!

 

So this is very interesting to me. I am a cashier at a hardware store. I always check my change when counting my drawer. Today I was very excited to have found a 1916 S Buffalo Head Nickel!! I was soooo excited. But it in color is completely brown. Edges and all. It has very little wear for as old as it is, but the color threw me off, which is what lead me to search about it, which lead me to this forum! lol I was debating on trying to clean it, but I guess I wont. But it is definitely very interesting!!

 

Welcome to CoinTalk! Can you post pictures of the nickel? Lots of old nickels (Buffalo and others) turn brown as they're exposed to the elements, but they can still be collectible in that color.

(This thread was originally started to talk about nickels that are brown because their composition is off. You'll probably have better luck starting your own thread -- scroll up and click on Coin Forums, then click on US Coins Forum, then click the Post New Thread button.)