Buffalo question

NJCollector

I'm just starting to collect circulated Buffalo Nickels and am not certain I have the hang on the grades. This ebay auction just was completed saying the coin is VF.

I'm not sure how to do the link. it is auction 3901497562

Is that an honest grading? The Reverse seems to be close, but I think the obverse is way off? Educate me please.

XpipedreamR

Link


Maybe VF20 at best, on a good day.

Donovan

Under strict grading, VF is supposed to have the horn tip outlined. This one doesn't but grading standards have loosened quite a bit in the past few years so you'll see these all day long at coins shows as VF. I'm old school though and would grade it a F-12, maybe F-15.

NJCollector

on a VF or even a F, doesnt the word LIBERTY need to be completely separated from the rim? And the date to be bold?

Is this considered a separated LIBERTY and a bold date?

nankraut

I'm with Donovan...if you can't see the tip of the horn, it's not VF. period

XpipedreamR

Who cares? It's a crappy $4 coin. Now leave me alone, I have a bad backache and my eyes are dry and blurry.

Donovan

<< <i>Who cares? It's a crappy $4 coin. Now leave me alone, I have a bad backache and my eyes are dry and blurry.

>>



Is your nose cold and moist? If not, you may be ill.

NJCollector

It's not the price. I'm just using the auction as an example, along with your feedback, to try to learn and/improve my ability to grade Buffalo Nickels.

OnlyBuffalos

The following site should provide some guidance:

http://www.geocities.com/RodeoDrive/4044/grade.html

The coin you pictured, a 1913 Type 1, is one of the best struck dates for buffalo nickels and thus even if you "market grade" this coin it doesn't appear to be VF20. From a technical grading standpoint it is definitely not a VF20 grade coin in my opinion.

You may want to visit the Heritage Coin auction archives where you can view thousands of buffalo nickels to get a feel for buffalo nickel grading. Be aware that there is a great deal of disagreement on grading many S and D mint coins from the late teens through the 1920s especially in F, VF and XF condition. You can be "safer" if you understand what the technical grade standards are and stick to them until you get a better feel for the grading nuances associated with the poorer struck dates. Keep in mind that so called strong strikes are scarce and even rare for the aforementioned S and D mint coins.