Take a look at the Toned Buffalo I just purchased!!!!

kryptonitecomics

I picked this up last weekend from my favorite dealer at an Antique's Flea Market. An old time collector sold him a Dansco album full of Uncirculated Buffaloes from 1913 all the way up. It was missing some of the dates including the 1913 S Type 2, but there were some monsters including all of the 1914, 1915, and 1916 dates and Mint marks. Some of them were beautifully toned including this one, and the deal was too good to pass up . This is my one and only toned coin and as most of you know I have preached the gospel of Blast White or untoned coins for quite some time. As painful as it is for me to admit,"gulp" I can't stop looking at this coin. In fact I love it and can't imagine purchasing another BU Buff that is untoned. I can't say that I am a convert for all US coin series, but I can't certainly see how a person can be drawn is by the coloration of a nicely toned specimen. I have forwarded pics to a Toned buffalo expert (Caitlin ) to get some opinions on the coin and I would welcome your comments and or grading opinions as I am no expert. I feel like it's a solid MS63 or MS64. There are very few marks on the coin and no major detracting ones. My only concern is a tiny spot (the size of a ball pint pin tip) on the highest point of the reverse where the toning seems to have been rubbed off a little due to moving it from holder to holder. It still appears there is luster in the spot, but if it is even the slightest amount of rub, then this MS63/64 just became an AU-58.

DrawTwo

Nice, I like it! Are you going back for more?

FlyTooHigh

Nice catch!!

RGL

Love the tone (welcome!) and the strike. That should do better than 64 in a slab, I would think ... sounds like a great buy.

kryptonitecomics

<< <i>Nice, I like it! Are you going back for more? >>



I told Caitlin I'd go back and see what he has left this weekend. This time I'll write down the dates, grades, toning etc. I honestly wasn't even going to try to purchase any of them due to what I felt they were worth. I decided to ask for a price, and when he told me my money lept out of my wallet. If he took credti cards I would buy the whole lot from him without batting an eye

Petescorner

Since I know which dealer this is (we've compared notes before) I may have to get up a little early this Saturday! Actually, I'm just kidding KC. But this is a great dealer and we're lucky to be able to buy from him.

-Dan

kryptonitecomics

Anyone else want to take a shot at grading this?????? I want to send it in to PCGS for grading, but most people on these boards are in favor of NGC for toned coins, where should I send it?????

BigD5

All I see is a red circle with a white x in the middle I would LOVE to see the Buff's!!!

Steve27

BigD5, you may need to increase the amount of memory in your machine.

kryptonitecomics, all I see are broken links which may indicate that Netscape can't interpret the images. Is anyone else using Netscape having the same problem?

kryptonitecomics

It was working fine last night. The server I have them on may be down as I am using Internet Explorer and they are not coming up right now.

DrawTwo

krypto - I think you're right - I'm using ie and i saw them last night - not now.

kryptonitecomics

I just checked and the server is back up, but they must have had to use a backup image due to my picture files being gone. I also noticed that about 15 images I deleted last night, are now back. I will fix it tonight and then pull the thread back to the top so everyone can look at the pics. It really is a nice coin, and I could really use the feedback. Sorry everyone, I'll have to slap Time Warner later!!!

jom

C'mon! Get those pictures working! I wanna see...I wanna see....

jom

1jester

Outstanding coin, Kryptonite. I would be surprised if it graded lower than a 64/65 (assuming it's not a 58 for any rub).I too enjoy nicely toned coins, and especially Buffaloes. It seems Buffalo nickels often display what I believe to be improper mixing of the copper and nickel, leaving color streaks on the planchet (independent of toning, but sometimes that adds to the toning). A few years ago I sent PCGS a 1914 nickel, and it came back 67; it also had similar toning to yours. I think yours looks nicer. Have fun with the new direction to your collecting!

BNE

Nice Buffalo!!! I also don't like toning on a lot of coins, but toning seems to look nicer on Buffalos than on a lot of other coins. Maybe it's the rough style of the sculpturing, and the rustic nature of the subject matter. A little "aging" gives it more character.

Sounds like you picked up a real bargain! Please let us know how it slabs.

coinrookie

New at this but here is a dumb question. If you are concerned about the spot, Why not wait on getting it slabbed and let it tone some more to cover the spot.

kryptonitecomics

Actually that's a very good question. I am new to collecting toned coins, so my first thought is that it might take quite some time for that to happen. I don't want to artificially help it along as the coin would most likely get body bagged. It is a fine line between a rub and a missing spot of toning, and I would rather have a slabbed AU-58 nicely toned Buff, then a plastic bag that say too bad, so sad. Any one else have any suggestions on what I should do??? As I stated the spot is very small, but it's not invisible. Does anyone think that the grader my be swayed into giving it the MS grade due to the lack of marks and eye appeal???? Probably wishful thinking, but I guess I could get lucky!!!!

jom

Krypt: I don't know which coin is which but the top pictured and bottom pictured coins both look AU due to the wear on the Buff's butt. This is the best I can come up with given the photos which are not very good for grading. I'd have to see those in person....I can't really see the toning either.

BTW, just because they "might" be AU doesn't mean they aren't nice coins. I find truly AU58 coins nicer than most ms60-62 coins and many ms63/64 coins.

jom

Kejun99

That's one beautiful coin..
BigD5, My netscape is working fine and I'm using a Mac..
It may be just a question of turning off your computer and restarting.

If you were to wait for toning to mask over the spot ,, that may mean a number of years to wait... Can one speed up the culture of a tone?

Are you going to go back for more of those Monsters?

Ken

BigD5

The pics are working now. I don't think it was my machine, or at least I HOPE it wasn't I agree with jom, and there looks to be broken luster on the Buff's rear end. That smallish gash to the left of the Indian's eye would keep the coin down also, from a technical standpoint. Eye appeal looks great. Strongish strike, with seemingly strong luster too. I can't really distinguish the "color", but I'll take your word for it Nice coin.

DrawTwo

krypto - to respond to your question about what you should do - enjoy the coin.

It's very nice whatever grade somebody might slap on it. And I'm completely with jom - 58 coins can be much more appealing then 62/63 coins, and I think this is one of 'em! Not saying it's not 64 - too hard to tell from the scans exactly what I'm seeing, but as long as you didn't overpay and it doesn't sound like you did, I say just enjoy a very nice purchase! Unless you plan to turn it over, why bother with slabbing?

DirtroadRider

Lucky Dog