PCGS Rainbow Buffalo Nickel, NT or AT?

Darkwaverave

Here is a Buffalo Nickel that I bought off of Ebay a week ago for $25 + shipping with a Buy-it-now as soon as it was listed. The colors on the reverse really jump out much more in hand then the pictures suggest. It has purple, blue, green, yellow, gold, and pink all over the reverse. The seller says that it came from an original paper roll and they submitted it hoping for a higher grade as it is mark free.

My questions is this, is it NT or AT? How much of a premium would this toning bring? I am thinking of sending it with someone to the ANA show to sell.

GFourDriver

Looks NT to me.

jmj3esq

I vote NT. I hope it is. I have a 1938-D similar to that one only with a little more color at PCGS right now.

GoldenEyeNumismatics

Whether it's AT or NT, PCGS is very tough on this type of color right now.

pheh

NT.

jom

Probably NT but little premium. It's a common coin that has a slightly weak strike due to older dies.

Nice coin though.

jom

richardshipp

Nice coin (I say NT) and small world... I just sent this to someone who will be taking it to ANA as well....

Darkwaverave

That is good that many people think it is NT, I showed it to someone who is said it is AT since nickels don't tone rainbow colors naturally. Wanted to bet me $1000 that it was AT, maybe I should take him up on that offer

TonedCoinTrader

Looks ok, I'd pay about 50.00 for it due to the grade and so so rainbow toning.

19Lyds

Fully NT since PCGS graded it right?

As for toning premium, I think you answered your own question when you hit the $25 BIN button!

In other words, little if any at all as its just not that dramatic.

Nice coin though.

19Lyds

<< <i>Looks ok, I'd pay about 50.00 for it due to the grade and so so rainbow toning. >>



OP Here's your buyer!

8RealesReality

I also vote NT.

My dad has a spectacular neon rainbow toned Buffalo that he's had sitting in a 2x2 hard plastic two piece (snap-together) holder for the last 40-45 years; his coin must have acquired the colors over that time as far as we know since he doesn't collect toned coins to begin with .He's not been an active collector for decades, either.

He got his collection out of storage on a recent visit where we compared some of our coins and lo and behold the colorful gem Buffalo stood out---too bad I didn't have a camera handy to get a picture to post here---it is a quite spectacular, name-your-price kind of coin. Oddly enough, the Buff was about the only coin he had that really exhibited much toning. A few other coins had pvc damage that were in vinyl flips but all the rest (mostly Morgans) were blast white.

JJM

NT, $65 retail IMO

al410

NT, I have seen several tone like that one. Nice looking coin and you got a nice buy on it.
AL

clarkbar04

Seems like a deal at $25, I'd have bought that too. Nice coin and I also vote AT.

Bcsican

NT.... you actually got an excellent deal @ 25 I think an easy 40-55 to the right buyer...

nicetoning42107

Absolutely NT. The colors are proper. The color progression is farther along in the middle of the buffalo which is common for Buffalo Nickels though it usually works the other way for other coins. While the color progession would seem to float, the actual color on the surface does not. You can see the grey areas on the raised skin folds of Black Diamond. Also the way the color in the picture recedes in the field around the E PLURIBUS UNUM is a good sign of NT. That is a sign the toning has depth of character rather than looking like it jumps off the coin no matter what angle the coin is pictured at.

Bought it for $25 as soon as it was listed? Hmm. . .thanks for letting us in on this newly listed Buy It Now secret. Makes me wonder what else you can find.

SamByrd

NT 38'S seem to be very available toned. Very nice pick up

lbtrip23

If you dont like it i will give your $25 back

kryptonitecomics

NT and I agree with those in the value being $50+ camp so yes that toning would have brought double the price had it been listed without a BIN

ricko

Amazing. I have no idea where this 'color craze' is going - however it does seem to be getting worse than ever. Oh well, to each his own. Cheers, RickO

7Jaguars

Don't you know - these are all by popular acclaim NT and especially because the plastic is a sign it has to be. How dare anybody think it could be AT? Questions of this sort are answered with invectives, emotions and ration worthy of the Salem witch trials.

kryptonitecomics

<< <i>Amazing. I have no idea where this 'color craze' is going - however it does seem to be getting worse than ever. Oh well, to each his own. Cheers, RickO >>




It has to do with eye apeal.....values are based on that and have been since folks started collecting coins. For a lot of us......buffalo nickels are pretty plain jane unless toning or luster or strike set an example apart from the rest. That is why we pay premiums.....that is why people have always paid premiums.....this is not a no phenomenon though toned coin haters like you would try to convince others that it is a phase

CHAMELEON

I say NT, and this is exactly why I'm not sending in anything to be certified right now. There is no reason I can see that this coin should not have been graded. It has really gotten ridiculous at the big 2 TPG's. It only makes them less and less credible IMO.

MikeInFL

<< <i>I say NT, and this is exactly why I'm not sending in anything to be certified right now. There is no reason I can see that this coin should not have been graded. It has really gotten ridiculous at the big 2 TPG's. It only makes them less and less credible IMO. >>



Or it implies they were less credible before and are more credible now. I can certainly understand why someone who submits and sells coins would lean towards your position as articulated above.

MPLunatic

<< <i>I say NT, and this is exactly why I'm not sending in anything to be certified right now. There is no reason I can see that this coin should not have been graded. It has really gotten ridiculous at the big 2 TPG's. It only makes them less and less credible IMO. >>



Wait I thought the coin was graded?

Elcontador

Many of the 38 Ds have excellent strikes and attractive toning. The toning on your coin from the image looks okay to me. The reverse would seem to indicate a higher grade may be warranted (imo, there aren't enough contact marks to downgrade it to a 4), but I don't like the weak obverse strike, and imo, the lack of strong eye appeal (on the obverse), which is probably why it is in a 4 holder. Can't go wrong for $25, though.

19Lyds

<< <i>

<< <i>I say NT, and this is exactly why I'm not sending in anything to be certified right now. There is no reason I can see that this coin should not have been graded. It has really gotten ridiculous at the big 2 TPG's. It only makes them less and less credible IMO. >>



Wait I thought the coin was graded? >>



Me too. I've been searching the thread to find out what he was referring to

Bochiman

<< <i>

<< <i>

<< <i>I say NT, and this is exactly why I'm not sending in anything to be certified right now. There is no reason I can see that this coin should not have been graded. It has really gotten ridiculous at the big 2 TPG's. It only makes them less and less credible IMO. >>



Wait I thought the coin was graded? >>



Me too. I've been searching the thread to find out what he was referring to >>



The pics in the OP show it to be graded.
Chameleon is likely referring to other coins that he has and has mentioned don't get graded when toned....or at least, is connecting this one to them even though this one is graded (PCGS MS64)

yellowjacket

I don't see the wild colors that would warrant AT. It's a 1938-D for God's sake.

Garrow

JBN

Nice warmth.

Sure looks like NT.

cohodk

Looks like its worth $25 to me.

Greysheet bid--which is just a guide-- is $23. So you paid no premuim for the toning. So does it really matter if it is AT or NT?

ricko

"...that is why people have always paid premiums.....this is not a no phenomenon though toned coin haters like you would try to convince others that it is a phase"
People have NOT always paid a premium for toning... in fact, it was considered a fault and not desirable not too many years ago. I still consider it to be what it is .. ugly surface degradation. Andy yes.. it is a new 'fad'. Cheers, RickO

kryptonitecomics

<< <i>"...that is why people have always paid premiums.....this is not a no phenomenon though toned coin haters like you would try to convince others that it is a phase"
People have NOT always paid a premium for toning... in fact, it was considered a fault and not desirable not too many years ago. I still consider it to be what it is .. ugly surface degradation. Andy yes.. it is a new 'fad'. Cheers, RickO >>



that just shows how little you know....some have always paid strong premiums for eye appeal...toning and otherwise...and some like you have always preferred blast white. The fact that more people now pay those premiums to you equates to a fad vs. collectors just maturing in their taste for what equates to eye appeal for them. We have had Mike defalco on her numerous times talking about how he has been selling toned coins for premiums consistantly for 35 years......but I guess 35 years = a fad to you

Bcsican

<< <i>that just shows how little you know....some have always paid strong premiums for eye appeal...toning and otherwise...and some like you have always preferred blast white. The fact that more people now pay those premiums to you equates to a fad vs. collectors just maturing in their taste for what equates to eye appeal for them. We have had Mike defalco on her numerous times talking about how he has been selling toned coins for premiums consistantly for 35 years......but I guess 35 years = a fad to you >>



Agreed this is no fad and has been going on for a long, long...time...

Shamika

Many of these dates (1938-D) are very colorful. Looks NT to me with little premium.