Great week for weak legs, Part 2

coolkarma

For Part 1 of Weak Legs, click here.

Late this week I picked up a 1917-d buffalo nickel in PCGS MS64. It also has a weak leg, see below. It was struck by the die that created the 3 1/2 leg versions (it has the die crack connecting the buffalo's tail to the rim, a small die crack/spike on the buffalo's back below the second E in STATES, and lots of stray marks from the clash I assume). However, it is an "early" die state, before they completed the cleanup from the clash I suspect (or before the die was used many times and the striking removed the stray marks). The leg is weak, but it is clearly not completely removed. Searching various archives, the leg is "stronger" than on circulated 1917-d 3 1/2 leg nickels but very similar to uncirculated one (according to my somewhat biased eye).

Question: Do you think the leg is weak enough for the nickel to be attributed as the 3 1/2 leg variety by PCGS?




As a somewhat irrelevant comparison, this is the 3 1/2 leg 1936-d referenced in Part 1

lasvegasteddy

i've no clue on 3-1/2 designations but that's a sweet early buff there cool

OnWithTheHunt

I vote "Yes." I've got several of these attributed as the variety by ANACS and SEGS, (none this nice, though) and the strength of the leg varies. But Koynekwest is the real authority on this one.

Type2

3 1/2 Yes, The 1st dont know. Nice.

TexasNationals

Holy crap, AU-58 3 1/2 legger 36-D from ebay, now a 17-D 3 1/2 in 64, nice, very nice

koynekwest

Yours is an early die state of the variety. Many collectors of these wouldn't consider it to be weak enough to qualify. There are some that are so weak that they are nearly legitimate 3 leggers instead of 3 1/2 leggers. The '17-D is the least rare of the six known dates of the variety.