New toned Buffs for my herd

RockyMtnProspector · September 18, 2016 10:07AM

Spent the past 9 days roaming the plains of Wyoming and Montana. Saw some real buffalo, and tons of businesses incorporating buff nickels (obverse or reverse) into their logos or signage. They Wyoming flag also uses the outline of a buffalo/bison in its state flag.

So in honor of all that, here's a guess the grade:

Cheers!

clarkbar04 · September 18, 2016 12:02PM

That's quite the well matched trio. I'd say 65 66 66.

erwindoc · September 18, 2016 12:17PM

Great looking buffalo nickels! Ill guess 65,66,67

DIMEMAN · September 18, 2016 12:21PM

Beautiful Buff's.....65,66,66

Type2 · September 18, 2016 12:24PM

MS64
MS65
MS65/6
Very nice buffs.

mannie gray · September 18, 2016 2:39PM

64+

65+

66

jtlee321 · September 18, 2016 3:37PM

MS64
MS65+
MS66

ricko · September 18, 2016 9:00PM

64, 65, 66.....might be a plus in there.... Cheers, RickO

grip · September 18, 2016 11:21PM

64,65.66+

lkeigwin · September 18, 2016 11:34PM

Love them!

64, 64, 64.

Lance.

RockyMtnProspector · September 19, 2016 4:57AM

Thanks for the replies. Our host went with trips 64, so Ikeigwin was spot on.

I don't agree (natch, says the submitter), as I see some higher grades there. Maybe I'll resubmit/regrade or crackout down the line. Not sure.

These were all part of a set of 18 total Buffs, fairly uniform in color like these, that all appeared to be somewhere in mint state (with two high AUs mixed in) that ranged from 1913 P and D Type 1, 1914, 1915, 1916, and 1917 and then the full run from 1934-38 all mints.

If I send those in at some point (probably slow boat economy, plus whatever I decide to do with these three) I'll post the full set here. Even before I submit, I plan on getting my coin photography stuff together this fall so I can share/get input before then.

Thanks again!

RockyMtnProspector · September 19, 2016 9:20AM

I'm also not sure if I will keep them all or sell a few to cover purchase/grading costs. This was an impulse purchase, the one that I mentioned in my winning post on the giveaway thread by Tassa.

clarkbar04 · September 19, 2016 9:50AM

I don't feel so bad then, they also said this was a 64 and I figured it was an easy 65.

RockyMtnProspector · September 19, 2016 9:58AM

There are a couple 65s in Coinfacts and one from a recent SB auction that have less definition--what Bowers calls "Full Details"--than the ones you and I have posted.

I admit, I'm not Buff nickel grading expert, but I'm just a little bemusedly skeptical of the results.

ad4400 · September 20, 2016 3:36AM

All are very eye appealing, and you can be a proud owner or happy seller, whichever way it goes. That said, I can almost rationalize the grades on purely technical grounds, with the 34-D and 35-S being a combination of darker and less well struck that is often found at the 65 grade (although these two are far from the worst) and the 37-D being darker and perhaps have some heavier hits in the fields that you really have to hunt for in the Truviews. I think the technical grades give no credit to the eye appeal for these pieces, and they might do better on a 2nd go around, although the 37-D probably is hard to justify in cost-terms. Regardless, if you sell, I'm sure they will bring nice premiums relative to their same-grade peers.

keets · September 20, 2016 3:53AM

I admit, I'm not Buff nickel grading expert,

given this admission it would probably be best to trust the graders at PCGS and study the coins closely to see what you may have missed.

crazyhounddog · September 20, 2016 4:10AM

I was going to say
64
64
65

Good call, Lance. What ever the grade I think the eye appeal says a LOT more about these Buffs. Over the top eye appeal. GREAT pick ups

cupronik · September 20, 2016 10:38AM

I would've guessed 64, 65, & 66, respectively.

They're still pretty coins and I like them all!

RockyMtnProspector · September 20, 2016 12:14PM

Originally posted by: keets

I admit, I'm not Buff nickel grading expert,

given this admission it would probably be best to trust the graders at PCGS and study the coins closely to see what you may have missed.

I don't believe I missed anything. Certainly not the level of details that pass for higher grades on other coins. There are no blemishes to mention, so I'm clearly at a loss for what the graders do or do not see that I am missing.

And anyone admitting they aren't a complete expert shouldn't simply defer to those who claim to be automatically. I've had several "expert" dealers tell me this or that about a coin I've shown them only to later be proven right through my own research and then corroborated by others who would actually take the time to explain.

RockyMtnProspector · September 20, 2016 12:15PM

Originally posted by: crazyhounddog

I was going to say

64

64

65

Good call, Lance. What ever the grade I think the eye appeal says a LOT more about these Buffs. Over the top eye appeal. GREAT pick ups

Thanks! I would like to say that grades aside what struck me is absolutely what you mention--the eye appeal!

RockyMtnProspector · September 20, 2016 12:30PM

Originally posted by: ad4400

All are very eye appealing, and you can be a proud owner or happy seller, whichever way it goes. That said, I can almost rationalize the grades on purely technical grounds, with the 34-D and 35-S being a combination of darker and less well struck that is often found at the 65 grade (although these two are far from the worst) and the 37-D being darker and perhaps have some heavier hits in the fields that you really have to hunt for in the Truviews. I think the technical grades give no credit to the eye appeal for these pieces, and they might do better on a 2nd go around, although the 37-D probably is hard to justify in cost-terms. Regardless, if you sell, I'm sure they will bring nice premiums relative to their same-grade peers.

The 34-D I sent in isn't any less technically well-struck than this 65 that was in a recent SB auction:

https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-4N0E6

That's why I'm a little puzzled. Color and eye appeal aside, the buffalo especially is flat on the reverse of the 65. Even if both were graded at the same level or offered raw side-by-side (again, color aside), I wouldn't choose the flat, definition lacking piece in the auction.

But I appreciate your explanation of how the coins presented. Not being an expert is not admitting that I'm a novice, but rather that I am at the point where nuances make the difference in any grading scenario where a 1-point (much less a two point range as some others offered above) difference can be a combination of technical calls and also human reaction to other factors that have been discussed ad nauseam throughout this forum.

I think the guess the grade posts are really helpful in learning that next level.

New toned Buffs for my herd

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