Better Buffalos with full horns
Vetter
Posts: 747 ✭✭✭✭✭
Is it me or am I just not seeing them? Are all better/key date Buffalo Nickels with full horns all XF now? I cannot find any certified VF’s with full horns, in fact most seems to have 1/2 a horn in VF now. Why did it change over the years?
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Comparing ANA grading standards from 1977 to 2013
(1977) VF30 Reverse: Head, front leg and hip are worn. Tail shows plainly. Horn is worn but full.
(2013) VF30 Reverse: Head, front leg, and hip are worn. Horn is worn but distinct on coins that are well struck.
(1977) VF20 Reverse: Hair on head is worn. Tail and point of horn are visible.
(2013) VF20 Reverse: Hair on head is worn. Point of horn is not always visible.
So it would seem sometime between 1977 and 2013.
I think it is also important to remember that the obverse carries more weight, so perhaps a nicer than average obverse can carry a not as nice reverse into VF range
Collector, occasional seller
On my few buffalo collections, the key areas for me to purchase were cape, hooves, horn and legs. Never bought for resale value, at the time of purchase, So obverse feathers and knots, nor LIBERTY were not my key areas of interest. Nothing quite like a well struck Buffalo Reverse in my opinion.
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.
I like the Buffalo Nickel... and have always been partial to the reverse. Sure, I like detail on the obverse as well... but a really well struck buffalo is key for me. Cheers, RickO
The (Full Horn) doesn’t play a huge part in accessing a buffalo nickel. It’s way over rated.
It seems to me that there are so many coins in pcgs and ngc holders that are called vf when they are only fine plus in my
opinion. And many of the so-called vf and xf coins are not up to snuff either. you just have to grade the coin yourself
if you plan to add it to your collection.
buffnixx
a.k.a "The BUFFINATOR"
The late Ron Pope thought the same thing.
"market acceptable" and "overall wear" ring hollow to me. Full to the tip always was the way I like it.
Pete
I gradually learned to weight the whole coin and de-emphasize the horn.
I think the eye opener for me was reading about an original Unc roll of ‘26Ds where many of the coins didn’t have full horns.
It’s ok when a VF coin doesn’t have a full horn, but the other attributes need to be there. If it’s a half or two-thirds horn, and the rest of the coin is fairly well worn, it’s a Fine, not a VF.
As the "better" coins get slabbed it gets tougher to find ones that come up to the grading standards of yesterday, at least that what it seems like to me. I like a well hammered one, but they are also getting harder to fine lately. hard to believe that they are now 84 to 109 years old.
Circulated buffalo nickels can be devided into two catagories.
1) those with a full horn where the "tippy tip" of the horn is visible, and....
2) those that DO NOT have the tip of the horn showing
The net grade of the coin cannot be from just the amount of horn showing. Some AU and UNC coins having a weak
strike are graded very fine or higher because just the horn area mainly has the weakness. Best to not get hung up on the
coin being a full horn or not. I have seen many really nice buffs that were just shy of the full horn.
a.k.a "The BUFFINATOR"