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Buffalo Nicklel Available Reference Books ?
Broadstruck
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I have Annette Cohen and Ray Druley's coauthored book along with David Lange's book...
are there any others worthwhile in print or out of print specifically on the series
are there any others worthwhile in print or out of print specifically on the series
To Err Is Human.... To Collect Err's Is Just Too Much Darn Tootin Fun!
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I also own the Bowers book on Buffalo and Jefferson Nickels. It has interesting stats about the number of fully or well struck pieces by date/MM which I have to believe is based on Ron Pope's work. I felt that those stats were the main addition beyond what Lange has wrote.
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Whitman Guidebook Gives Popular Coins the Q. David Bowers Treatment
“If you have even the slightest interest in nickel five-cent pieces, Dave Bowers’s Guide Book of Buffalo and Jefferson Nickels is an absolute must!”
--from the foreword by Bill Fivaz
Bill Fivaz
The Buffalo nickel is the classic All-American Coin, with the effigy of an impressive American Indian filling the entire obverse and a representation of a plains buffalo or bison across the reverse. Sculptor-designer James Earle Fraser had both a profound interest in Western themes, having grown up on the northern plains of the Midwest, and a special concern for the plight of the dwindling herds of American bison. The bold obverse and reverse designs still draw a dramatic collector following for this series, and specimens in all grades are eagerly sought.
In the Guide Book of Buffalo and Jefferson Nickels, Dave Bowers presents us with the complete Buffalo nickel story, from Fraser’s initial concept, through the difficult teens and twenties when strike was a serious problem for branch-mint issues, right up to the final Denver strikings in 1938.
This series has two major rarities, the 1916-P Doubled Die Obverse and the 1918/7-D Overdate, each of which is covered in detail by the author. Both are prohibitively rare in Mint state, the 1916 Doubled Die exceptionally so. Worn dies and dies that had become eroded because of extended use permeate most mintmarked coins from 1918 through 1928, making these issues a challenge to locate in choice, well-struck condition. The Guide Book of Buffalo and Jefferson Nickels leads you through all of these complexities and provides comprehensive insight into this very popular series.
Felix Schlag’s Jefferson nickel, first minted in 1938, is a fascinating series for many reasons. There are no “stoppers” (dates that are extraordinarily expensive), making it a very affordable set, even in Mint State. It is, in my opinion, the perfect set for young numismatists, beginning collectors, or even advanced variety enthusiasts. For the collector concerned with the strike factor in the grading equation, the Jefferson nickel is a classic coin. The six steps on the Monticello building on the reverse are the last portion of the design to strike up, and few dates with six complete steps are known. Because of this, for a long time a 5FS nickel was considered by some to be a “full step” coin. Today, 6FS is becoming the goal for many. Bowers explains why this is a problem and indicates in his date-by-date analysis those that are particularly difficult to locate.
Varieties run rampant through the Jefferson issues, with an overdate (1943/2-P), several overmintmarks (1949-D/S, 1954-S/D, 1955-D/S), and a host of major doubled dies. The two most valuable varieties in Mint State are the 1942-D / Horizontal D and the 1946-D / Inverted D.
This is a series in which a collector can “name his poison,” choosing any of the following: collecting strictly by date and mintmark in either circulated or Mint State conditions; assembling a set whose specimens are all in Mint State with Full Steps; or collecting all the major varieties. Whichever road you take, I guarantee you’ll have fun with this series!
If you have even the slightest interest in Buffalo or Jefferson nickels, this book by Dave Bowers is an absolute MUST!
Contents include:
Foreword by Bill Fivaz
Introduction by the author
Chapter One: The Story of the Nickel
Chapter Two: The Minting of Nickel Five-Cent Pieces
Chapter Three: How to Be a Smart Buyer
Chapter Four: Indian Head / Buffalo Nickels 1913–1938, History and Background
Chapter Five: Indian Head / Buffalo Nickels 1913–1938, Guide to Collecting
Chapter Six: Indian Head / Buffalo Nickels 1913–1938, Analysis by Date and Mintmark
Chapter Seven: Jefferson Nickels 1938 to Date, History and Background
Chapter Eight: Jefferson Nickels 1938 to Date, Guide to Collecting
Chapter Nine: Jefferson Nickels 1938 to Date, Analysis by Date and Mintmark
Appendix A: Chronology of the Nickel Five-Cent Piece
Appendix B: Nickel Mint Errors
Appendix C: Pattern Buffalo Nickels
Notes
Selected Bibliography
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