I don't "get" the 3-legged buffalo ...

UncleJoe

Recently there was a thread asking to name the top ten coins a collector would want. The 3-legged buffalo was mentioned several times.

I don't "get" this coin. Buffaloes are my favorite collection but I have never owned nor at this time have any intention of purchasing a 3-legged buffalo.

I would like to find out what others think about this coin. I would like to find out if maybe I'm missing something or maybe not looking at the situation from another perspective.

I will be looking for some buffaloes at the upcoming FUN show and wanted to see if there is some reason to add the 3-legger to my list.

Joe.

merz2

UncleJoe
The reason is simple.It is a mint error.That and the # of known examples is low,considering the # of 1936-D Buffalos that were minted.They are highly prized by most of the Buffalo men.

Coulport

It is just another error coin.
However, this one received a lot of publicity and also made it into that all important Red Book. From there, it was included in many album versions.
Some people consider it necessary for a collection and some don't. Same goes for the overdates.
Personally, I like the coin.

Twowood

Uncle Joe; How about the "Raised Mound" Buffalo...Twowood

UncleJoe

Twowood?

Blade

Joe,
Because it is freakin' cool. Just imagine a day in the old West. Wind blowing the grasses on a hot summer day. You ride your horse over a small hill and 50 yards away is a huge, majestic buffalo... limping along on 3 legs!!!

I think the attraction is that it deletes a design element in a way that is more interesting than others. Some people pay huge sums for a coin with the designer's initials missing (No FG Kennedy) or mint mark (1982 no P 10c or 1922 no D 1c). This is way cooler IMO. Go get a nice AU58 3 legger

UncleJoe

Blade, LMAO.

Then what about two feather nickels?

Joe.

dorkkarl

the attraction of the 3-leg, of which i own 1 in a middle grade, is that it was a mint error that anybody, including a non-numismatist, could recognize & possibley find in change. therefore, for many folks, it was the first coin that got them into coin collecting. simliar to the 1955 ddo, just an easily-recognized error that may be a lot more common than others, but sparked a beginning in the hobby for folks.

personally, i like the coin not so much cause its all that "rare" or anything, but it is a major part of numismatic history in that it got many started in the hobby. the "5-leg" & "3.5 leg" are the 1's that bug me.

K S

KlectorKid

I think its a great error and its on my list of coins to buy when I win the lotto.

Blade

Karl - 5 leg? That's a new one to me. Is that an over-endowed buffalo?

Joe - I just started collecting Buffalos (I have 3 nice late 30's examples in MS66). I am not familiar with 2 feathers. Can you tell me about it? Doesn't sound as interesting as a hobbled buffalo.

UncleJoe

Two Feathers

Joe.

kranky

I tend to agree with you, UncleJoe. In a way, it's odd that the collectors sometimes single out certain errors which become so popular, many people feel they belong as part of a set. But it can't be too rare, or there won't be enough examples to sustain widespread popularity and availability.

NumisEd

The popularity of the 3 legged Buffalo Nickel is really a commentary on the state of collecting today. The press, Red Book, et. al, tell us that this is a "rare" coin. Therefore we must have one and the frenzy to obtain one drives the cost (not value) up. Remember some of those rediculous, totally goofy DDO Lincoln cents (1995, I think)? When they were first introduced by the press, the prices were something like $100 each. Now you can buy a roll for $50, if you are foolish enough to do so. My $ values are just guesses as I automatically tune out any details for this type of material.

The 3 leg Buffalo is NOT a rare coin, or even a scarce coin.

MrKelso

With 17,826.000 minted was it ever determined how many 3 leg errors got out? 2003 North American Coins and prices show some pretty steep prices for this error.

relayer

It's a coin with a lot of word-of-mouth press, like the 1909-S VDB. It's a cool coin though.

But did we really need to see the buffalo's member on the coin?

If there was a die crack in the right place, we'd have a true pissing coin.

cladking

Some coins catch peoples attention and some don't. This is particularly true for errors
and filled die coins.

Back in the late thirties my father and his classmates would have contests to see who
could find the most of the three legged coins. He was never a collector so he remembers
few details except hat the winner found several. Many of these were released in Montana
and he was in Indiana. This coin caught the public's imagination where many other more
interesting coins have not. There are much scarcer three legged buffalos of other dates
which command less of a premium. Go figure.

cladking

One of the diagnostics on this coins is a series of dots under the buffalo.
Perhaps if KinKoin changes his description to a leaking MM quarter he can
capitalze on the popularity of the three leg coin.

greghansen

Yea, making the Red book pretty much solidified its stance as a collectible. Plus it has a cool name. A 'three legged buffalo' just sounds like a cooler coin variety than a 1909-s VDB or a 1955 Doubled Die. It would have been even better if they would have called it the "three legged Ralphie" or whatever the name of that Buffalo was that is considered the model for the reverse. What was that Buffalo's name anyway?

kranky

The buffalo's name was Black Diamond.

bigtonydallas

There are many varieties in each series. The buffalo series has the 1916 double die obverse which commands the highest prices as only a few hindred have been found. I personally believe there were fewer than 500 minted before someone noticed the doubled image and ground off one image to give us the missing initials and missing third feather for 1916. I have one missing initial coin which I believe has a vary faint doubled image. I hope to some day get a full set of detailed pics on the double die to compare with my coin. Most of the pics only show the date doubling. Others do not show a big enough pic to be helpful. I have cherried many over mint marks and a few double dies on other buffalos as well.

cladking

Variety collecting is a fast growing area and likely to get even bigger as the years go by.