1916 doubled die Buffalo nickel sold yesterday in auction, How much would you be willing to pay?

BUFFNIXX

The following bufalo nickel, a specimen of the 1916 doubled die obverse variety, sold for $3600 yesterday which includes
$600 worth of the "juice". It was slabbed by NGC and graded "very fine details, environmental damage". Good04 to Good06
specimens can bring upwards of 5K or so. How much would u have been willing to pay for this coin? If you were building
a buffalo nickel set and wanted to get one would u have considered this coin?

braddick

10K in Fine and 22K in XF I'd think the above is valued at what it sold for. Clear date. The damage isn't so much man-made (holes; aggressive cleaning, acid treated...).

Smudge

I would have passed.

Meltdown

I'd really like to find one in the wild someday!

lermish

I am not a buff collector so my answer is approximately $5. (EDIT: Assuming it was for my collection and I wasn't just flipping for a profit)

However, if I was putting together a set and wanted an example, assuming the examples were somewhat available (which they are, I can see a few on eBay), I would not buy this coin.

johnny9434

not for me, pass

1Bufffan

The details are good just too bad that the coin is so dark with the environmental damage, this would be one of the better 16/16 that I have seen if it was Blast White, which it isn't, I would have to Pass..

telephoto1

Great look for a hole filler coin. Technically a Fine, details wise. What I like is that the date is very strong. I think the owner would likely be able to make a few bucks on it down the line.

ricko

I would pass on that one - though if I found it in my 'hoard' of Buffs, I would be thrilled. Cheers, RickO

Crypto

I agree completely with Telephoto1, that is a good price for that look. Unless there is micro-porosity that I cant see, it might end up in a slightly net graded F holder someday. I think well bought

BuffaloIronTail

It's too bad that the coin ended up like it did. If it were a regular issue Buff and it was for sale, I'd pass. It's nasty looking, but in the coins defense, It portrays the overdate well, which is what a whole lot of collectors want to see.

I like it because it shows actual wear quite nicely, and could be a good coin for reference in addition to it's extreme rarity.

Would I want it?

Nope. It is a terrible looking coin that I would not pay up for.

Pete

TPRC

I normally don't like details coins, but for that price, I think that would be a buy!

PeakRarities

@BUFFNIXX

I too, wonder if the new owner might try to “restore” this coin, like you had suggested in the other thread. I’m not sure what it would take to remove all of that nasty tarnish while preserving the surfaces of the coin, but it seems like this one might have significant upside if it were done successfully.

coinbuf

I would pass, mostly because I'm not interested in varieties in the general sense. I think it was a decent deal for the buyer who does want that coin.

Vetter

As a comparison here is my coin PCGS environmental damage VF details that I paid a little more. Same grade, different grading company. I find it odd that the coin in the original post made it to VF. Makes me wonder if mine would go XF if resubmitted (not that I would do that) being mine has a full horn. The 16DDO is rare in any grade and highly sought after so the price doesn’t surprise me. It might be a bit low in my opinion.

Jimnight

I most likely would pass.

seanq

Being honest, I kinda like the look of that coin. I think it shows the variety very well compared to a "details" coin that was acid etched or the like. Yeah there is some surface damage but it came about it honestly, that is about as original as an environmentally damaged coin can get in my eyes. It has the look of many circulated Buffalo nickels from the area, I could easily see fitting that into a circulated set and looking right at home.

Sean Reynolds

MidLifeCrisis

I understand the need to compromise sometimes. This is especially true with colonial coins. However, I would have passed. A problem-free low grade coin is always the better choice than a higher grade coin with problems.

124Spider

This is just my opinion, obviously (and my opinion on things of personal taste often is in the minority); but you asked!

As my collection has grown in quality, it has become clear to me that I simply don't like ugly coins. The shining example is my 1916-D Mercury dime, in a PCGS G04 slab--it's just not an attractive coin, to me. It's problem-free, but worn too much for me to think it's attractive. And the coin at the top of this thread is anything but problem-free.

So I no longer buy ugly coins. If I don't want to pay enough to get an attractive coin, I leave that slot empty. I have a lot of coin collections, and all are complete, except for the standing Liberty quarters and Morgan dollars. I don't want an ugly 1916 SLQ, or an ugly 1893-S Morgan dollar, and I'm not willing to pay for a non-ugly one. So I don't own one.

For calibration purposes, "non-ugly," to me, generally means at least VF25 and problem-free. And I reserve coins that low grade for the very expensive ones, like the three 1921 walking Liberty half dollars.

So, no, I would not have bought it. Further, I don't consider that coin to be a "must have" for a complete buffalo nickel collection. Just as I don't consider the 1895 Morgan dollar (a proof-only issue) to be a part of a complete set of Morgan dollars.

But different strokes; I think the price paid probably was an ok price.

d9lowe

Pass!

yspsales

Though this coin is on my bucket list, would pass.

One of my rules is not to spend more than $20 on a slabbed details coin. Details coins are for education, not collecting.

nwcoast

Pass.
For the same reasons others have expressed very well.

MasonG

@DeplorableDan said:
I’m not sure what it would take to remove all of that nasty tarnish while preserving the surfaces of the coin...

I don't know- looks a lot like corrosion and it's probably more "in" the coin's surface than "on" it.

mr1931S

Would not consider for purchase. If I "found" it, would definitely be for sale.

HoledandCreative

Needs a hole for my interest.

Catbert

No.

BillJones

It would not have been my type of coin because it’s corroded. If it had not been a rarity, it would not have been certified. Without the doubling, it’s a junk box item.

Zoins

It’s an interesting look for an in demand variety. The date doubling is very clear as mentioned. I can see it being polarizing, with a certain segment of collectors liking it, and a certain segment not.

erwindoc

For the money, Id rather have one without the damage. The 16/16 is on my list though!

ChrisH821

I like it. For the money you aren't going to get a nicer one.

BLUEJAYWAY

Not for me.

BUFFNIXX

It just might be possible to remove the brown "tarnish" that is on all but the high points of the design. This may be
worth sending to pcgs for conservation. Or soaking it in something like olive oil may do it. Just maybe. But then
again it is too expensive of a coin to have the conservation effort go south!

BUFFNIXX

Forgot to load the slab photo from Heritage, here it is and also up top under the original 2 photos of obv & rev.

7Jaguars

I would be a bit iffy to the conservation bit as the "grunge" serves to highlight some of the features & think they may get washed out by conservation. IMHO if that is a VF coin less the environmental damage, then it would have to be on the lower, lower end of the scale.
BTW, were you the buyer? I only ask because it was amusing that it really wasn't obvious from your phrasing....

BUFFNIXX

@7Jaguars said:
I would be a bit iffy to the conservation bit as the "grunge" serves to highlight some of the features & think they may get washed out by conservation. IMHO if that is a VF coin less the environmental damage, then it would have to be on the loNo wer, lower end of the scale.
BTW, were you the buyer? I only ask because it was amusing that it really wasn't obvious from your phrasing....

NO I WAS NOT THE BUYER!

NOT THEN!

NOW!!

OR EVER!!!

7Jaguars

Oh, OK, sorry was just playing. I love my half crown series but even if I do not have a specific type will pass if too tawdry.

MasonG

@BUFFNIXX said:
It just might be possible to remove the brown "tarnish" that is on all but the high points of the design.

With a grinder, maybe.

BUFFNIXX

In my opinion the coin in this post should only have been graded "FINE DETAILS".

Pizzaman

Both clearly show the DDO. The NGC one is missing the tip of the horn and I like it at F Details as well.