Test your grading....a Buff

Alright guys.....for sometime I have been wanting a NICE 1926-S Buff Nickel...I knew that they were weekly struck and I've watch on and off for one...well I did something about that today.
I think PCI low balled this one (It will be crossed over to another slab)...it was a nice cheap (haha) one too....from what I've seen it was pretty cheap...I watched one in a PCGS holder go for more than I got this one for...and I think this one has more and better detail than the PCGS one had.

REMEMBER--This date is weekly struck and you can't go by the horn on the Buff....I think this is a harder coin to grade--but IMO this is a nice one.

So guess what PCI gave....
and guess what I gave as the grade

Speedy

 

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Vf-20

B

 

I have no idea what PCI graded it, but my grade is VF 20.
My guess, given the way you worded it, is PCI gave it F 15.

Nice key date...Mike

 

I'm going to guess pci gave it a vg-10, and you gave it an f-12?

 

VG/VG Nice coin Speedy--it did what it was suppose to do :high5:

 

I'm going to let this go on for awhile...see what more people think

Speedy

 

VF-20. Didn't have to scroll down to see what the first response was, but it was right on the money. So I'm going to go with my gut choice on this one.

P.S. Dont keep this on for too long or else I wont think of coming back to check on it.

 

Ok....I'm going to go ahead and post the grade....
PCI said F15....but after looking at other 1926-S Nickels I think this is a nice VF20.....I've watched coins in lower grades than this one go for less than this one...that is why I got it .....now I just have to maybe sell some coins and pay for it.... my job (mowing) isn't the best right now J/K

Speedy

 

Sorry Speedy, but PCI may have been generous in their grading of this coin.
As you said, the 1926-S along with many more of the indian head nickels were weakly struck, but there is a limit as to what is acceptable even under these condition.
Your Buffalo's back lacks the detail I would have expected in a coin graded higher than Fine. The tail which helps in the grading of Buffalo's in about right for a Fine. From what I could tell, the reverse will grade higher than the obverse because of the lettering and rim. If it were me I would have prefered a better date, but for a Fine it is about par these days.
Twenty years ago, it wouldn't have been given much more than a VG and the owner would have been happy to get that with this coin.
Any way, that is how I see it, but if your happy, that is all that really counts.

 

Hey OldDan.....yes...I'm happy with it....hopefuly when its in hand it will show alittle more.

I would agree if this was any other date...a few weeks ago there was some photos posted here of some 1926-S Buff's and one had almost a "hole" on the back...it had like caved in...
Also after looking at what PCGS was grading F-15....the rim was worn much more.....

that is the truth...grading has changed...

Thanks for your opinion---your one of the guys I remember over at CW Forum showing photos of Buffs...

Speedy

 

I have to agree with OldDan Speedy. In fact, the grading guide I used was Photograde from 1970. I don't buy into the theory that grades should change with prices. If that were true Large eggs should be called Extra Large eggs when the price of eggs go up. They would then invent a new catagory for the Extra Large eggs--"Moster eggs" no doubt. But if a grocer were to sell Large eggs in Extra large egg boxes because the price of eggs went up I'm sure he'd have government creatures slinking about his place of business real fast.--- "What'd do think you doing?" :hammer:

But as long as your happy with your Buff that's all that matters! The so called "grading issue" was here a 100 years ago and will be here 100 years from now. And the reason is simple: Coin collectors are projecting their own personalities into their coins--a very subjective episode which can *never* be quantified, with any measure of accuracy. Somewhat close is as good as it's ever going to get.

I still like your coin. It did it's job real well, and even went through the Great Depression, a very historic moment in our history. It's a good catch. :high5:

 

Hey Longnine
I agree 100%...grading shouldn't change as the price and grading shouldn't change...but (let me say something GDJMSP has said)

we live in a real world...that world changes...and if we are going to keep up on collecting (and coin market) and keep up with the changes, no matter how much we don't like it we have to learn the grading changes. (I didn't say USE the grading changes...but at least KNOW them)
I hope that someday grading will go down to ONE stander....it would be tons easier and lots better...but until that happens I going to have to learn about and read about grading...I don't agree with the changes....never let that be said....but I am going to keep up with the market.

Yes--I've real happy with the coin!!!...I've thought about maybe working on my Buff set this year...don't know if it will get done or not but maybe!!!

Speedy

 

Hey Speedy was that you who picked up Taxay's and Ford's Counterfeit book at Abebooks? the next time your hunting around for a good book consider this one--Grading Coins: A Collection of Readings. Edited by Richard Bagg and James J. Jelinski. I believe that's the Richard Bagg from ANR. It's a compliation of articles from The Numismatist, The Numismatic Scrapbook and the Whitman Journal. Lot's of interesting stuff in that book.

I almost forgot, your nickel also went through the Flapper/Dapper Era. That makes it even better. :kewl:

 

Nope--I have one is Taxay's and have been trying to a find another one by him that I heard was good....

I'll try to find it...never heard of it but I try to read everything I can about grading.

Thanks for the tip

Speedy

 

Well the coin came in today.....what do you think with these new photos...
I'm thinking about crossing it over to NGC....but only at F-15 or better.
At first look I didn't think it would go over F15....but then again remembering that it is weekly struck and would be graded higher...I don't know...I need an experts help.
IMHO...the horn is nicely struck...you can see about 1/2 of it nicely in person

Speedy

 

Your second round of pictures definitely make it look a bit nicer.

Oh, and the difference between F and VF as far as monetary value is substantial, so I think I'd try to cross it to NGC or even ANACS, though they may be a bit tougher on it.

 

Weakly struck... but from a wear standpoint, should go VF easily. There is some scratching going on near the hind leg on the reverse that could net it down to F. So, at least a fine should be expected, or a body bag for the scratches...

just read to see the results... not surprising. I don't agree that this is a VG coin, F seems fair, and mostly F due to the scratching, not the wear. buffalos are funny in terms of grading. A very flat strike can recieve surprisingly high grades. I have dozens of these from PCGS and NGC, and they have shown me time and again that strike MUST be taken into account with buffalo's.
I don't know about grading getting easier, I hear that all the time, and while perhaps true, its not relevant. A coin can only be valued relative to the rules and expectations of the current trends and times. The good old days syndrome in coin collecting seems to come up a lot. I collected coins back 30 years ago, and the coins I had as VG then, are still VG today. It's not like I look them up in photograde and they suddenly are F or better...

 

Yes...if this baby would come back VF it would be going to DLRC or Heritage for auction.....
I'll let everyone know if I send it off and what it comes back as.

Speedy

 

Its out of the slab and I'm going to be taking it to my dealer to send to NGC...he also thinks it will up-grade!
I've been searching and searching auctions with good photos of NGC and PCGS graded coins of this date in F-XF.....this one is looks nice after looking at some ...but then I own the coin!!
I'll let everyone know when it comes back....what I'll do with it if it comes back VF I don't know...

Speedy

 

Speedy, you said that you'd been looking for a nice 26S for a long time. IMO, since you've been looking for the coin for a while, if it comes back with a higher grade, great! Consider yourself lucky to have gotten a nice coin for your collection at a bargain. If you sell it, you won't have the coin anymore that you wanted for your collection. This is, of course, unless there's something that you want for your collection even more and would sacrifice this new coin for.

Have a good one.

-tcore-