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Finally a known counterfeit buffalo nickel winds up in a major grading service's holder on ebay

BUFFNIXXBUFFNIXX Posts: 2,718 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited May 11, 2024 1:03AM in U.S. Coin Forum

Here is the auction number of the coin in question, now in a slab, it is number
Just copy and paste this number into the ebay search line and search on this number and you will be taken right to the auction.
This is usually referred to as the "decapitated bison variety",
comments?
Does anyone think this one is real?

Collector of Buffalo Nickels and other 20th century United States Coinage
a.k.a "The BUFFINATOR"
«1

Comments

  • ScarsdaleCoinScarsdaleCoin Posts: 5,232 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Sorry thing your headline is misleading and without seeing the coin in hand how do we really know?

    Jon Lerner - Scarsdale Coin - www.CoinHelp.com
  • MsMorrisineMsMorrisine Posts: 33,325 ✭✭✭✭✭

    if you're sure, link it and copy the photos in

    Current maintainer of Stone's Master List of Favorite Websites // My BST transactions
  • OAKSTAROAKSTAR Posts: 7,558 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Disclaimer: I'm not a dealer, trader, grader, investor or professional numismatist. I'm just a hobbyist. (To protect me but mostly you! 🤣 )

  • Married2CoinsMarried2Coins Posts: 675 ✭✭✭

    @BUFFNIXX said:
    Here is the auction number of the coin in question, now in a slab, it is number 204783651576
    Just copy and paste this number into the ebay search line and search on this number and you will be taken right to the auction.
    This is usually referred to as the "decapitated bison variety",
    comments?
    Does anyone think this one is real?

    If the slab is real, ANACS DID. I should think that they spent a lot of time authrenticating a coin that looks as bad as this one. You are the Buff expert and you say it is a known counterfeit so why ask what the rest of us think. Perhaps ANACS has authenticated some of these before. They are the oldest TPGS.

  • CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 32,269 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I have never seen this one in my life.

    Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
  • BUFFNIXXBUFFNIXX Posts: 2,718 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Married2Coins said:

    @BUFFNIXX said:
    Here is the auction number of the coin in question, now in a slab, it is number 204783651576
    Just copy and paste this number into the ebay search line and search on this number and you will be taken right to the auction.
    This is usually referred to as the "decapitated bison variety",
    comments?
    Does anyone think this one is real?

    If the slab is real, ANACS DID. I should think that they spent a lot of time authrenticating a coin that looks as bad as this one. You are the Buff expert and you say it is a known counterfeit so why ask what the rest of us think. Perhaps ANACS has authenticated some of these before. They are the oldest TPGS.

    And I may have made a mistake here. It has been called a counterfiet over the years and maybe it is OK and especially since ANACS has authenticated it. I have the greatest respect for anacs too. So I was wrong here. My appologies.

    Collector of Buffalo Nickels and other 20th century United States Coinage
    a.k.a "The BUFFINATOR"
  • UpGrayeddUpGrayedd Posts: 624 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @burfle23 Maybe we can get Mr. Young to render an opinion.

    Philippians 4:4-7

  • BuffaloIronTailBuffaloIronTail Posts: 7,482 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @UpGrayedd said:
    @burfle23 Maybe we can get Mr. Young to render an opinion.

    He should have been around there somewhere.................

    Pete

    "I tell them there's no problems.....only solutions" - John Lennon
  • burfle23burfle23 Posts: 2,401 ✭✭✭✭✭

    When I call a coin counterfeit I explain why; curious from the OP's description and post what makes him certain this is bad?

    Coin cert looks up correctly on ANACs" website sight, so slab looks OK.

  • burfle23burfle23 Posts: 2,401 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Looks like it was purchased; stay tuned...

  • TrickleChargeTrickleCharge Posts: 174 ✭✭✭

    Interesting. Any idea when these were produced and if their intent was to be passed in circulation?

  • MrEurekaMrEureka Posts: 24,281 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @TrickleCharge said:
    Interesting. Any idea when these were produced and if their intent was to be passed in circulation?

    I've seen at least a couple of the very similar 1936's. The first was heavily circulated and belonged to a friend who considered it a rare 3 or 3.5 leg variety, IIRC. I told him I thought it was fake, and proved it to him when I found a mint state one not much later. But given that one was heavily circulated, I'm sure they were made back in in the day, to be passed in circulation.

    Andy Lustig

    Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.

    Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
  • Slade01Slade01 Posts: 294 ✭✭✭
    edited May 12, 2024 9:42AM

    @burfle23 said:
    Looks like it was purchased; stay tuned...

    Maybe you could email a copy of that page and the ANACS cert # so they can tune up their authentication on known counterfeit Buffalos of that era, or at least consider delisting that one.

    Perhaps PCGS bought it for use in promotional material. B)

  • TrickleChargeTrickleCharge Posts: 174 ✭✭✭

    @MrEureka said:

    @TrickleCharge said:
    Interesting. Any idea when these were produced and if their intent was to be passed in circulation?

    I've seen at least a couple of the very similar 1936's. The first was heavily circulated and belonged to a friend who considered it a rare 3 or 3.5 leg variety, IIRC. I told him I thought it was fake, and proved it to him when I found a mint state one not much later. But given that one was heavily circulated, I'm sure they were made back in in the day, to be passed in circulation.

    Thank you for the info. I checked Winston Zack's Bad Metal book on counterfeits and the 1935 variety seen here is identified as a transfer die composed of German silver. He also mentions how prolific counterfeiting buffalo nickels was at the time. One counterfeiting outfit apparently struck 5,000,000 pieces with varying dates during just 18 months before being caught.

  • MsMorrisineMsMorrisine Posts: 33,325 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @TrickleCharge said:

    One counterfeiting outfit apparently struck 5,000,000 pieces with varying dates during just 18 months before being caught.

    finding contemporary counterfeits. very interesting

    Current maintainer of Stone's Master List of Favorite Websites // My BST transactions
  • Namvet69Namvet69 Posts: 9,031 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Most intriguing. 5 mil is a lot of buffs. Appreciate the info.

    BST: endeavor1967, synchr, kliao, Outhaul, Donttellthewife, U1Chicago, ajaan, mCarney1173, SurfinHi, MWallace, Sandman70gt, mustanggt, Pittstate03, Lazybones, Walkerguy21D, coinandcurrency242 , thebigeng, Collectorcoins, JimTyler, USMarine6, Elkevvo, Coll3ctor, Yorkshireman, CUKevin, ranshdow, CoinHunter4, bennybravo, Centsearcher, braddick, Windycity, ZoidMeister, mirabela, JJM, RichURich, Bullsitter, jmski52, LukeMarshall, coinsarefun, MichaelDixon, NickPatton, ProfLiz, Twobitcollector,Jesbroken oih82w8, DCW

  • MrEurekaMrEureka Posts: 24,281 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Namvet69 said:
    Most intriguing. 5 mil is a lot of buffs. Appreciate the info.

    Considering how few I’ve seen over the years, it’s hard to believe many of those 5 million coins made it into circulation.

    Andy Lustig

    Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.

    Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 46,274 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @MrEureka said:

    @Namvet69 said:
    Most intriguing. 5 mil is a lot of buffs. Appreciate the info.

    Considering how few I’ve seen over the years, it’s hard to believe many of those 5 million coins made it into circulation.

    Totally agree. Henning counterfeit nickels are fairly common. Any idea how many of those were made?

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • TrickleChargeTrickleCharge Posts: 174 ✭✭✭

    @PerryHall said:

    @MrEureka said:

    @Namvet69 said:
    Most intriguing. 5 mil is a lot of buffs. Appreciate the info.

    Considering how few I’ve seen over the years, it’s hard to believe many of those 5 million coins made it into circulation.

    Totally agree. Henning counterfeit nickels are fairly common. Any idea how many of those were made?

    I don't think Henning came anywhere near those numbers. I would strongly recommend picking up Zack's books. They have a lot of great information on counterfeits and reference newspaper articles of the time.

  • JBKJBK Posts: 15,718 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I believe that Henning's output was in the hundreds of thousands.

    The reason the 1944 Henning is "common" is because it is immediately identifiable by the missing mintmark. The other Henning dates are scarce only because they are harder to identify.

    A good counterfeit goes undetected. In the case of counterfeit Buffalo nickels, I wonder how many circulated to the point where they became dateless culls. Many of us have probably seen them and not even realized it.

  • KOYNGUYKOYNGUY Posts: 116 ✭✭✭

    I greatly doubt anyone at ANACS was fooled by this. I have never seen one and it looks
    like an obvious fake. I can look it up in office Friday. J.P.Martin

  • burfle23burfle23 Posts: 2,401 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 16, 2024 5:26PM

    Let us know what you find; I believe they authenticated it as the label indicates.

    Maybe they meant "authenticated" counterfeit?

  • giantsfan20giantsfan20 Posts: 1,559 ✭✭✭✭

    What is the recourse if any for whoever owns the coin. No mention on ANACS website as to claims on authenticity and if they do pay out ,how would they determine the value being a unique item.

    The auction no longer shows up on EBAY search so wonder if it sold or not?

  • burfle23burfle23 Posts: 2,401 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @KOYNGUY said:
    I greatly doubt anyone at ANACS was fooled by this. I have never seen one and it looks
    like an obvious fake. I can look it up in office Friday. J.P.Martin

    Any update Mr. Martin?

  • ConnecticoinConnecticoin Posts: 12,915 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The ebay link no longer shows the listing, so it appears ebay may have canceled the sale and nuked the listing.

  • jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 34,724 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @burfle23 said:
    Let us know what you find; I believe they authenticated it as the label indicates.

    Maybe they meant "authenticated" counterfeit?

    What is the TM-BNC-35-3R in reference to?

  • burfle23burfle23 Posts: 2,401 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Connecticoin said:
    The ebay link no longer shows the listing, so it appears ebay may have canceled the sale and nuked the listing.

    Coin was sold.

  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 46,274 ✭✭✭✭✭

    It's hard to tell from the poor pics shown in this thread but the coin in question looks like it could be a genuine coin struck from very heavily abraded late stage dies that should have been retired long before this coin was struck. It's not unlike the 1937-D 3-legged buffalo nickel with the moth-eaten rear leg and missing front leg. ANACS is very good at detecting counterfeit coins and since they examined this coin in-hand, I'll defer to their opinion.

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • TrickleChargeTrickleCharge Posts: 174 ✭✭✭

    @PerryHall said:
    It's hard to tell from the poor pics shown in this thread but the coin in question looks like it could be a genuine coin struck from very heavily abraded late stage dies that should have been retired long before this coin was struck. It's not unlike the 1937-D 3-legged buffalo nickel with the moth-eaten rear leg and missing front leg. ANACS is very good at detecting counterfeit coins and since they examined this coin in-hand, I'll defer to their opinion.

    I wonder if ANACS did a metallurgical test. If it has a significant presence of zinc, that would all but exclude it from being a genuine mint product regardless of it's other features.

  • burfle23burfle23 Posts: 2,401 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @PerryHall said:
    It's hard to tell from the poor pics shown in this thread but the coin in question looks like it could be a genuine coin struck from very heavily abraded late stage dies that should have been retired long before this coin was struck. It's not unlike the 1937-D 3-legged buffalo nickel with the moth-eaten rear leg and missing front leg. ANACS is very good at detecting counterfeit coins and since they examined this coin in-hand, I'll defer to their opinion.

    Wow, regardless of the research? Not trying to derail this important post, but I have several other researched counterfeits in theirs as well as others slabs as genuine.

  • jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 34,724 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @burfle23 said:

    @PerryHall said:
    It's hard to tell from the poor pics shown in this thread but the coin in question looks like it could be a genuine coin struck from very heavily abraded late stage dies that should have been retired long before this coin was struck. It's not unlike the 1937-D 3-legged buffalo nickel with the moth-eaten rear leg and missing front leg. ANACS is very good at detecting counterfeit coins and since they examined this coin in-hand, I'll defer to their opinion.

    Wow, regardless of the research? Not trying to derail this important post, but I have several other researched counterfeits in theirs as well as others slabs as genuine.

    I'm guessing he didn't read the other posts and is unaware of the research.

  • burfle23burfle23 Posts: 2,401 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @TrickleCharge said:

    @PerryHall said:
    It's hard to tell from the poor pics shown in this thread but the coin in question looks like it could be a genuine coin struck from very heavily abraded late stage dies that should have been retired long before this coin was struck. It's not unlike the 1937-D 3-legged buffalo nickel with the moth-eaten rear leg and missing front leg. ANACS is very good at detecting counterfeit coins and since they examined this coin in-hand, I'll defer to their opinion.

    I wonder if ANACS did a metallurgical test. If it has a significant presence of zinc, that would all but exclude it from being a genuine mint product regardless of it's other features.

    The new owner will...

  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 46,274 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @burfle23 said:

    @Connecticoin said:
    The ebay link no longer shows the listing, so it appears ebay may have canceled the sale and nuked the listing.

    Coin was sold.

    I wonder if ANACS bought it to take it off the market.

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • MsMorrisineMsMorrisine Posts: 33,325 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 19, 2024 9:26AM

    missed saving higher res photos.

    i noticed the date was a tad off. the tops of the 1 and 9 don't align

    wouldn't the obverse die qualify as a definite 2 feather? if so, wouldn't we have a recognized 2 feathers that year?

    i noticed the top of the bridge of the nose to be gone, but that is on one photo of a 2F. what wasn't was the area under th nose gone.

    where is most of the neck?

    my first impression without knowing any of this was the obverse was unusually ground down. for the few i've seen, i just haven't seen that before

    all of this i was going to let go because a few said it was ok, but that's what first bothered me about the coin.

    i was also looking at liberty and thinking it was in to high relief for the amount polish, but am now discarding that as even the other 2 feathers still have a good bit of relief there

    did anyone try to authenticate the obverse?

    Current maintainer of Stone's Master List of Favorite Websites // My BST transactions
  • burfle23burfle23 Posts: 2,401 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @PerryHall said:

    @burfle23 said:

    @Connecticoin said:
    The ebay link no longer shows the listing, so it appears ebay may have canceled the sale and nuked the listing.

    Coin was sold.

    I wonder if ANACS bought it to take it off the market.

    No; although I would guess they would like to get it back. I can state it is off the market...

  • MsMorrisineMsMorrisine Posts: 33,325 ✭✭✭✭✭

    MINTAGE: 58,264,000

    high enough say 50,000 highly abraded nickels could escape notice?

    Current maintainer of Stone's Master List of Favorite Websites // My BST transactions
  • ConnecticoinConnecticoin Posts: 12,915 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @burfle23 said:

    @Connecticoin said:
    The ebay link no longer shows the listing, so it appears ebay may have canceled the sale and nuked the listing.

    Coin was sold.

    Yeah it was sold but the link should show it as a completed listing. The listing appears to have been poofed.

  • seanqseanq Posts: 8,682 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @burfle23 said:

    @PerryHall said:

    @burfle23 said:

    @Connecticoin said:
    The ebay link no longer shows the listing, so it appears ebay may have canceled the sale and nuked the listing.

    Coin was sold.

    I wonder if ANACS bought it to take it off the market.

    No; although I would guess they would like to get it back. I can state it is off the market...

    Please share additional pictures when you receive the coin.

    Sean Reynolds

    Incomplete planchets wanted, especially Lincoln Cents & type coins.

    "Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
  • burfle23burfle23 Posts: 2,401 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Anything @KOYNGUY ? Was hoping to wrap this up with your update...

  • BUFFNIXXBUFFNIXX Posts: 2,718 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Connecticoin said:
    The ebay link no longer shows the listing, so it appears ebay may have canceled the sale and nuked the listing.

    no this coin actually did sell.

    Collector of Buffalo Nickels and other 20th century United States Coinage
    a.k.a "The BUFFINATOR"
  • Married2CoinsMarried2Coins Posts: 675 ✭✭✭

    Maybe Koinguy did not go to the office yet.

  • KOYNGUYKOYNGUY Posts: 116 ✭✭✭

    I forgot to check and am now on vacation, Sorry

  • burfle23burfle23 Posts: 2,401 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Well, I guess we will have to wait...

  • MedalCollectorMedalCollector Posts: 1,984 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Connecticoin said:

    @burfle23 said:

    @Connecticoin said:
    The ebay link no longer shows the listing, so it appears ebay may have canceled the sale and nuked the listing.

    Coin was sold.

    Yeah it was sold but the link should show it as a completed listing. The listing appears to have been poofed.

    Posters in the know are being cryptic. eBay indicates it was “removed for policy violation”. Maybe the sale was done outside of eBay with a buyer that was aware of its questionable authenticity and this thread.

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