What are the diagnostics for the 1918/7-D Buffalo Nickel?
Insider2
Posts: 14,452 ✭✭✭✭✭
A member here bumped an old thread showing the diagnostics for the 3-leg Buffalo nickel. I've been looking at these coins for a long time and there were a few things on these coins that I never looked at before. That Just proves folks use different diagnostics to authenticate the same coins.
Let's see what we come up with for the 18/17-D over date nickel. 
There MAY be some free gifts for unusual/new authentication tips.
2
Comments
On the regular 1918-D nickel, the two loops of the 8 are vertical. On the 1918/7-D, the bottom loop of the 8 is significantly to the right of the upper loop of the 8 (i.e., the two loops are not vertical).
An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.
The openings on both the upper and lower loops of the "8" are shaped like "half moons" rather than circles.
It would look nice with these
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb, Ricko
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
I have no first hand knowledge but have read that, on some, there is a die crack - above the hair braid knot - on the Indians cheek ??
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb, Ricko
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
That’s awesome!
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/quarters/washington-quarters-major-sets/washington-quarters-date-set-circulation-strikes-1932-present/publishedset/209923
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/quarters/washington-quarters-major-sets/washington-quarters-date-set-circulation-strikes-1932-present/album/209923
You can buy an acid date cheap!
There aren't any diagnostics to the reverse of this Overdate. The only thing that will rule out some spurious coins is that the "D" Mintmark on a genuine piece is almost perfectly centered between the "E" and "C" of FIVE CENTS. The Mintmark position MUST look exactly like what is pictured, as only one reverse die was used.
Higher grade specimens will show that the 8 in the date was hubbed over the 7, leaving a distinct, flat top to the date that shows from behind the 8. Kinda like "Bunny Ears".
The different hubbings also left the "F" Designers Initial slightly mis-shapen, causing it to look like a crudely rendered "P".
A die crack is present at the top of the knot on the Indian. This small crack appears on 99.9% of overdates, so it must have occurred very early in the use of the die. The crack is visible on coins down to G-4.
The inside feather on later die state coins is incomplete. I believe it was due to die erosion.
I also believe that the estimate of 100,000 coins produced is too low. It is my opinion that the Denver Mint knew of the Overdate, but used it anyway because of a limited amount of dies available to complete the mandated coinage.
Here's some pictures:
Pictures courtesy Heritage Galleries.
Pete
Based on some of the VLDS (very late die state) coins I've seen (like the one pictured below, which is near terminal) I believe this variety had a full die run (of around 63,000) and more-maybe much more, to the tune of 125,000-150,000.
Here's an image of the reverse of the coin above-
@koynekwest said: "Based on some of the VLDS (very late die state) coins I've seen (like the one pictured below, which is near terminal) I believe this variety had a full die run (of around 63,000) and more-maybe much more, to the tune of 125,000-150,000."
Wow! What's the name of your book? Does Wizard sell it?
The D mintmark is close to the 'E' in 'FIVE' and leans slightly left.
Edited to add: I have a customer who buys bags of dateless Buffalos and acid-treats the dates. Every show he brings me 4-6 coins to submit but asks me to verify. The acid dates are sometimes really hard to read, so the first thing I do is look at the MM position and weed out the ones that I know AREN'T the variety. Of the 4-6, some, and sometimes all, certify as the overdate.
Insider2-I sell the books myself. One deals with the abraded die varieties and the other is an extensive study on the strike characteristics of this sometimes very poorly produced series.
Interesting and valuable information, thank you all for sharing !!!
In my career I have seen exactly one 1918/7-D nickel in the EDS without the die crack at the top of the braid.
TD
Thanks Tom. That's about correct for the rarity. Not very many around.
Pete