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Post some weak strike ms graded buffalo please.

I did a search for weak strike buffalo nickels and there are plenty of post but most of the images are missing. They don't have to be ms but a higher graded weak strike. I know @crazyhounddog has a few. Thanks in advance.

Comments

  • ChrisH821ChrisH821 Posts: 7,014 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Look at 1929 Philly coins and you'll find plenty.

    Collector, occasional seller

  • BuffaloIronTailBuffaloIronTail Posts: 7,695 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Here's one from Ebay:

    Pete

    "I tell them there's no problems.....only solutions" - John Lennon
  • Black.DiamondBlack.Diamond Posts: 134 ✭✭✭

    PCGS MS64 CAC

  • Rule556Rule556 Posts: 215 ✭✭✭✭✭

    This is honestly helpful. It’s easy to find great photos of hammered examples, but nobody really advertises a coin to point out a weak strike. 😉

    My main collection is of peace dollars, and it’s fun when you realize you’re starting to recognize different dates and mints by the typical strike and tone quality alone.

    Newbie collector of type and circulated Peace dollars, photographer of places and animals, player of instruments and builder of amplifiers, espresso industry professional, and a person distracted by shiny objects. https://mycollect.com/Rule556/sets

  • FullHornFullHorn Posts: 1,167 ✭✭✭✭✭



  • ashelandasheland Posts: 24,321 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Very cool thread 👍

  • CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 33,619 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @jom said:
    1926-D (believe it or not) NGC MS63. The obverse on this coin was easily a 65....the reverse obviously brought the grade down. A difficult coin to grade no doubt.

    jom

    For a long time I have wondered if perhaps this particular reverse die was shipped to Denver unhardened by mistake, and when it was put to use striking coins the details quickly slumped down like this, but then it became work hardened and stayed like this for a long time. Can't prove it.

    Numismatist. 54 year member ANA. Former ANA Senior Authenticator. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and ANA Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Author of "The Enigmatic Lincoln Cents of 1922," Available now from Whitman or Amazon.
  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 47,411 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @CaptHenway said:

    @jom said:
    1926-D (believe it or not) NGC MS63. The obverse on this coin was easily a 65....the reverse obviously brought the grade down. A difficult coin to grade no doubt.

    jom

    For a long time I have wondered if perhaps this particular reverse die was shipped to Denver unhardened by mistake, and when it was put to use striking coins the details quickly slumped down like this, but then it became work hardened and stayed like this for a long time. Can't prove it.

    I had the same thought since the obverse has a reasonably sharp strike while the reverse looks weak and mushy. Another possibility is the reverse die was weakly hubbed and began life with weak details.

    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

  • lkeneficlkenefic Posts: 9,264 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thanks for this thread! Buffalo Nickels in AU to MS grades have got to be some of the most difficult coins to grade accurately. ...at least in my humble experience. I completed a set in mostly VF-XF grades... which are much, much easier to recognize.

    Collecting: Dansco 7070; Middle Date Large Cents (VF-AU); Box of 20;

    Successful BST transactions with: SilverEagles92; Ahrensdad; Smitty; GregHansen; Lablade; Mercury10c; copperflopper; whatsup; KISHU1; scrapman1077, crispy, canadanz, smallchange, robkool, Mission16, ranshdow, ibzman350, Fallguy, Collectorcoins, SurfinxHI, jwitten, Walkerguy21D, dsessom.
  • CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 33,619 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @PerryHall said:

    @CaptHenway said:

    @jom said:
    1926-D (believe it or not) NGC MS63. The obverse on this coin was easily a 65....the reverse obviously brought the grade down. A difficult coin to grade no doubt.

    jom

    For a long time I have wondered if perhaps this particular reverse die was shipped to Denver unhardened by mistake, and when it was put to use striking coins the details quickly slumped down like this, but then it became work hardened and stayed like this for a long time. Can't prove it.

    I had the same thought since the obverse has a reasonably sharp strike while the reverse looks weak and mushy. Another possibility is the reverse die was weakly hubbed and began life with weak details.

    Not the hubbing, because the mint mark is also affected.

    Numismatist. 54 year member ANA. Former ANA Senior Authenticator. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and ANA Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Author of "The Enigmatic Lincoln Cents of 1922," Available now from Whitman or Amazon.
  • breakdownbreakdown Posts: 2,374 ✭✭✭✭✭

    "Look up, old boy, and see what you get." -William Bonney.

  • jomjom Posts: 3,520 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @lkenefic said:
    Thanks for this thread! Buffalo Nickels in AU to MS grades have got to be some of the most difficult coins to grade accurately. ...at least in my humble experience. I completed a set in mostly VF-XF grades... which are much, much easier to recognize.

    All true. The Buffalo I showed was hard to "value" more that anything. Do you price it closer what you see on the Obverse or Reverse? Admittedly, I bought the coin for the COLOR (that's just me). Nonetheless, I though NGC did a good job at MS63.

    As to grading for AU vs. MS: The best way it to look for any rub on the high hip area of the Buffalo. After awhile you can spot it. I learned that from Bill Fivaz (sp?) at a grading seminar I attended in Seattle in 1994 or so. I've used that info for years now....(I can't believe that was 30 years ago...Yikes!)

    jom

  • BuffaloIronTailBuffaloIronTail Posts: 7,695 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @jom said:
    1926-D (believe it or not) NGC MS63. The obverse on this coin was easily a 65....the reverse obviously brought the grade down. A difficult coin to grade no doubt.

    jom

    Such a beautiful reverse to strengthen the claim for this date and mint to be recognized as poor quality strikes.

    Pete

    "I tell them there's no problems.....only solutions" - John Lennon
  • dcarrdcarr Posts: 9,976 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 25, 2026 8:19PM

    @Black.Diamond said:
    PCGS MS64 CAC

    .

    That is actually a very strong strike, but the dies (especially the reverse) are quite worn.
    So there is a distinction that can be made between a weak strike and a strike by worn dies
    (a worn-die strike can be weak or strong).

    .

  • dcarrdcarr Posts: 9,976 ✭✭✭✭✭
  • CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 33,619 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Remember also that in the 1920’s at least the Denver Mint changed dies one at a time as one side wore out. In my research on the 1922-D cents I have one obverse die paired with three different reverse dies.

    Numismatist. 54 year member ANA. Former ANA Senior Authenticator. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and ANA Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Author of "The Enigmatic Lincoln Cents of 1922," Available now from Whitman or Amazon.
  • TomBTomB Posts: 22,867 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @jom said:
    1926-D (believe it or not) NGC MS63. The obverse on this coin was easily a 65....the reverse obviously brought the grade down. A difficult coin to grade no doubt.

    jom

    @jom are you sure that isn't a 1926-S?

    Thomas Bush Numismatics & Numismatic Photography

    In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson

    image
  • CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 33,619 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @TomB said:

    @jom said:
    1926-D (believe it or not) NGC MS63. The obverse on this coin was easily a 65....the reverse obviously brought the grade down. A difficult coin to grade no doubt.

    jom

    @jom are you sure that isn't a 1926-S?

    As I recall, we worried about this for years, but eventually found a slightly earlier die state that could be identified as a D.

    Numismatist. 54 year member ANA. Former ANA Senior Authenticator. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and ANA Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Author of "The Enigmatic Lincoln Cents of 1922," Available now from Whitman or Amazon.
  • jomjom Posts: 3,520 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @TomB said:

    @jom are you sure that isn't a 1926-S?

    Ha!....wouldn't that be a hoot. Too bad I sold this piece years ago. Whatever the case, NGC thought it was a "D".

    jom

  • @lkenefic said:
    Thanks for this thread! Buffalo Nickels in AU to MS grades have got to be some of the most difficult coins to grade accurately. ...at least in my humble experience. I completed a set in mostly VF-XF grades... which are much, much easier to recognize.

    That's where I'm at I have 3 coins left to complete the collection and I would like to upgrade some of the lower grade coins. I was scanning sites looking at buffalo and i noticed on some higher grade coins it looked like 19 in the date was weak and i also noticed sort of a washed out area above the braid on the obverse so i was interested to see if those areas were common for weak strikes. Similar to fullhorn's 1926 D image.

    Had some health issues the last 5 years, hopefully they are behind me now. Thanks again for the help.

  • BuffaloIronTailBuffaloIronTail Posts: 7,695 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The top feather on Iron Tail is notoriously weak on Buffs. Usually, the bottom of the feather is flat with no detail or partly missing altogether.

    This is due to poor metal flow in an area where there is a need for more than normal displacement of metal due to Black Diamonds head on the reverse being almost directly opposite the feather.

    Of course, partial flatness on the head also becomes a problem.

    Pete

    "I tell them there's no problems.....only solutions" - John Lennon

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