So let me say first off that I'm not a variety collector. It's just too tedious for my personality, which is rather rife with ADD - jack of all trades, master of none, etc. I don't even collect dates sets (although I did way back in the day). But I've been trying to master a handful of famous varieties for those situations where I'm in a small show and I've exhausted every dealer's inventory for the things I do collect (ancients, world, and medals), and I still have time to kill because a real coin collector stays at a show until security asks him to leave because it's after closing time and people want to have supper. Whatever. Anyway - here's what I've gleaned from the internet about the 18/7 Buffalo. Help me out if I've got anything wrong. (There's a good chance I have.) As far as diagnostics go, the 7 intersects the date in such a way that the openings of the 8 form half-moons, and the mintmark is always rotated about 4 degrees counterclockwise to vertical. If you draw a straight line across the top of the D, the line will intersect the word CENTS right around the letter N. I also understand that all examples of this variety were struck from only two dies, so the mintmark is consistent across all specimens. One thing I've noticed is that the angle of the mintmark, being so slight, oftentimes does not come through clearly on images because of the lighting. For example, here is the highest-graded example by PCGS. In the large image it almost looks like the D is tilted clockwise... But when you zoom in close, it shows the correct orientation... Almost all known examples live in the Good to Poor range. Higher grades are rare, the highest exceedingly so. I've read that the most common fakes are ordinary 1918 D nickels with altered dates. I think I found one on eBay. The date looks funky because the 7 doesn't run straight across the top of the 8, the angles of the numbers in general don't match the authentic version, and the mintmark is definitely vertical, not tilted... What do y'all think? I have no desire to buy one of these coins attributed, and I don't expect to cherrypick one anymore than I expect to win the lottery, but I keep playing the lottery, so...think there's a chance?
Two different dies should mean that there should be two different MM placements. As the MM were hand punched into the working dies before being hardened. Depending on the amount of circulation, and whether it had abuse at one time in its life. The MM and devices are going to be a little distorted. What I would be learning is the die characteristics, MM placement would be the overall go ahead to look further into die markers and look of the surfaces to make sure the coin wasn't counterfeit.
I agree with the above statement after studying the examples above. I have found items on buffalo nickel dates that are unexplained I actually have 2 that I believe the dare is 1928 that I can see other parts of digits under and between the actual punched date. Digit punches again I've have seen different style 8's on this series. 1 like a smaller ball on top of a larger one ( I use a snowman as an example) to picture the digit. And also an 8 that is more like stylish digit. Looking at the mm placement as well, FIVE CENTS im not seeing a match. Not to say it isnt. I would need the specimen in hand to make a call. I still would pursue this John until I knew without a doupt it was or wasn't. If Ron Pope was still with us I ask Ron... Keep us posted as to anything you discover.. it should be interesting.
I wasn't clear on that. There aren't two different reverse dies. Only one obverse die, only one reverse die, a total of two dies altogether. All sources say that the mintmark must exhibit the slight counterclockwise tilt.
Blowing up the image I'm seeing die chips and the top ball of the 8 looks rounded not flat ,and the curve of the ribbon looks off...but again photo vs in hand ...I need to see it in hand. But to be honest...I rather be wrong, and you did pick this variety.... as I have to say "you suck " the congratulations that a cherrypicker recieve on a nice find.
Whoa Tonto! I didn't buy the coin, lol. I was pointing it out as a possible fake. I'm not interested in buying an example of this variety - just something to look for when rummaging through Buffalo nickels.
I always thought it was Tonto. The Tonto I was thinking of wasn't a Samurai. Don' hit (slice) me. I am old. I ramble.
Aside from those obvious indicators, all I know is that an example is out of my price range to fill the slot in my collection.
