What does Black Diamond mean?

eddiego · July 16, 2014 9:00AM

I have noticed that on some of the 2001 buffalo slabbed commemoratives it says "Black Diamond". What does that mean? Thanks

mbogoman · July 16, 2014 9:02AM

Black Diamond was the name of the buffalo.

JJSingleton · July 16, 2014 9:02AM

Black Diamond was the Bison that was the model for the coin.

kennytpez · July 16, 2014 9:05AM

That is the name of the buffalo on the Reverse.

TommyType · July 16, 2014 9:11AM

From Wikipedia:

"According to Fraser, the animal that appears on the reverse is the American bison Black Diamond. In an interview published in the New York Herald on January 27, 1913, Fraser was quoted as saying that the animal, which he did not name, was a "typical and shaggy specimen" which he found at the Bronx Zoo.[52] Fraser later wrote that the model "was not a plains buffalo, but none other than Black Diamond, the contrariest animal in the Bronx Zoo. I stood for hours ... He refused point blank to permit me to get side views of him, and stubbornly showed his front face most of the time."[52] However, Black Diamond was never at the Bronx Zoo, but instead lived at the Central Park Zoo until he was sold and slaughtered in 1915. Black Diamond's mounted head is still extant, and has been exhibited at coin conventions.[26] The placement of Black Diamond's horns differs considerably from that of the animal on the nickel, leading to doubts that Black Diamond was Fraser's model. One candidate cited by Bowers is Bronx, a bison who was for many years the herd leader of the bison at the Bronx Zoo.[53]"

Link

So, like much of numismatics, there seems to be some controversy even on the name of the Buffalo!

Zoins · July 16, 2014 9:44AM

<< <i>From Wikipedia:

"According to Fraser, the animal that appears on the reverse is the American bison Black Diamond. In an interview published in the New York Herald on January 27, 1913, Fraser was quoted as saying that the animal, which he did not name, was a "typical and shaggy specimen" which he found at the Bronx Zoo.[52] Fraser later wrote that the model "was not a plains buffalo, but none other than Black Diamond, the contrariest animal in the Bronx Zoo. I stood for hours ... He refused point blank to permit me to get side views of him, and stubbornly showed his front face most of the time."[52] However, Black Diamond was never at the Bronx Zoo, but instead lived at the Central Park Zoo until he was sold and slaughtered in 1915. Black Diamond's mounted head is still extant, and has been exhibited at coin conventions.[26] The placement of Black Diamond's horns differs considerably from that of the animal on the nickel, leading to doubts that Black Diamond was Fraser's model. One candidate cited by Bowers is Bronx, a bison who was for many years the herd leader of the bison at the Bronx Zoo.[53]"

Link

So, like much of numismatics, there seems to be some controversy even on the name of the Buffalo! >>

Great post TommyType! I love learning new things and it's one of the great things about these forums