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One of my favorite buffalo nickel varieties here, but the grading?

BUFFNIXXBUFFNIXX Posts: 2,719 ✭✭✭✭✭

They say a picture says a thousand words


Collector of Buffalo Nickels and other 20th century United States Coinage
a.k.a "The BUFFINATOR"

Comments

  • Steven59Steven59 Posts: 9,206 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I think they nailed it - F-12

    "When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"

  • 3keepSECRETif2rDEAD3keepSECRETif2rDEAD Posts: 4,285 ✭✭✭✭✭

    …that’s not what they say…but close ;)

  • jesbrokenjesbroken Posts: 10,211 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I think it would grade VG10 at PCGS.
    Jim


    When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln

    Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain
  • koynekwestkoynekwest Posts: 10,048 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Using today's grading standards I think it's graded correctly. Has an intact obverse rim. I personally pretty much ignore the horn on the bison in the lower grade ranges.

  • johnny9434johnny9434 Posts: 28,777 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 6, 2021 3:09AM

    I'd say f 12 as well. They could have given the ddr, jmo

  • 291fifth291fifth Posts: 24,489 ✭✭✭✭✭

    VG by my standards. The black mark on the reverse is very distracting. Is there really a market for varieties like that in lower grades?

    All glory is fleeting.
  • amwldcoinamwldcoin Posts: 11,269 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The black aside on the Rev. I'd say F12 is spot on.

  • VetterVetter Posts: 890 ✭✭✭✭✭

    It seems that you never know what grade is going to be assigned to Buffalo anymore. Full horns that were once VF are now XF, 1/2 to 3/4 horn VF, the coin pictured and VG’s with partial dates. Oh how the grading standards on Buffalos have changed. I bet you can’t find one 21 s, 24 s or 26 s with a full horn in a VF holder. Many other dates too. It’s a crap shoot anymore with submissions.

    Members I have done business with:
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  • VetterVetter Posts: 890 ✭✭✭✭✭

    It’s one of mine too. Cherried many back in the day. This is the only one I still have.

    Members I have done business with:
    Silverman68, jfoot13, GAB, ricman, Smittys, scrapman1077, RyGuy, Connecticoin, Meltdown, VikingDude, Peaceman, Patches and more.
  • HalfDimeDudeHalfDimeDude Posts: 1,206 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Pay $10 to have a coin graded that's what you get! Anacs is the pits as far as grading or verifying the correct variety. I see an VG coin.... IMHO of 50 plus years in this hobby.I also see other collectors realizing that once again you only get what you pay for!

    "That's why I wander and follow La Vie Dansante"

  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭

    If the grade don't fit, crack and submit.... To paraphrase a legal argument. :D Cheers, RickO

  • jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 35,356 ✭✭✭✭✭

    It's an F-12 by modern standards although that black mark is distracting.

    I'm personally a purist on these, but the market is what it is.

  • VetterVetter Posts: 890 ✭✭✭✭✭

    For comparison. Coin on the left ANACS F12 and coin on the right PCGS F12. Interesting.

    Members I have done business with:
    Silverman68, jfoot13, GAB, ricman, Smittys, scrapman1077, RyGuy, Connecticoin, Meltdown, VikingDude, Peaceman, Patches and more.
  • OnWithTheHuntOnWithTheHunt Posts: 1,253 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 6, 2021 8:26AM

    @Vetter said:
    For comparison. Coin on the left ANACS F12 and coin on the right PCGS F12. Interesting.

    I'd say the PCGS coin is undergraded if the obverse is as good as the reverse.

    Proud recipient of the coveted "You Suck Award" (9/3/10).
  • BuffaloIronTailBuffaloIronTail Posts: 7,508 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Vetter said:
    It seems that you never know what grade is going to be assigned to Buffalo anymore. Full horns that were once VF are now XF, 1/2 to 3/4 horn VF, the coin pictured and VG’s with partial dates. Oh how the grading standards on Buffalos have changed. I bet you can’t find one 21 s, 24 s or 26 s with a full horn in a VF holder. Many other dates too. It’s a crap shoot anymore with submissions.

    Welcome to the madhouse!

    Pete

    "I tell them there's no problems.....only solutions" - John Lennon
  • BuffaloIronTailBuffaloIronTail Posts: 7,508 ✭✭✭✭✭

    My first snap guess was VG-10. But it could pass for a F-12 and be correctly graded. It has a little less "meat" than the PCGS coin but still would sneak in IMHOP.

    Pete

    "I tell them there's no problems.....only solutions" - John Lennon
  • KoveKove Posts: 2,038 ✭✭✭✭

    I think F12 is an appropriate, if maxed out, grade.

  • koynekwestkoynekwest Posts: 10,048 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Both of the coins pictured above have 2/3 of a horn. The coin on the left is just a crummy strike.

  • amwldcoinamwldcoin Posts: 11,269 ✭✭✭✭✭

    H! It's kindda rare to find a FULL HORN in an XF holder for those dates!

    @Vetter said:
    It seems that you never know what grade is going to be assigned to Buffalo anymore. Full horns that were once VF are now XF, 1/2 to 3/4 horn VF, the coin pictured and VG’s with partial dates. Oh how the grading standards on Buffalos have changed. I bet you can’t find one 21 s, 24 s or 26 s with a full horn in a VF holder. Many other dates too. It’s a crap shoot anymore with submissions.

  • koynekwestkoynekwest Posts: 10,048 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @amwldcoin said:
    H! It's kindda rare to find a FULL HORN in an XF holder for those dates!

    @Vetter said:
    It seems that you never know what grade is going to be assigned to Buffalo anymore. Full horns that were once VF are now XF, 1/2 to 3/4 horn VF, the coin pictured and VG’s with partial dates. Oh how the grading standards on Buffalos have changed. I bet you can’t find one 21 s, 24 s or 26 s with a full horn in a VF holder. Many other dates too. It’s a crap shoot anymore with submissions.

    That's because many of those dates never had a full horn when struck. And it's the biggest reason the "horn thing" never should have been used as a grading criterion in the first place.

  • amwldcoinamwldcoin Posts: 11,269 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Yeap!

    @koynekwest said:

    @amwldcoin said:
    H! It's kindda rare to find a FULL HORN in an XF holder for those dates!

    @Vetter said:
    It seems that you never know what grade is going to be assigned to Buffalo anymore. Full horns that were once VF are now XF, 1/2 to 3/4 horn VF, the coin pictured and VG’s with partial dates. Oh how the grading standards on Buffalos have changed. I bet you can’t find one 21 s, 24 s or 26 s with a full horn in a VF holder. Many other dates too. It’s a crap shoot anymore with submissions.

    That's because many of those dates never had a full horn when struck. And it's the biggest reason the "horn thing" never should have been used as a grading criterion in the first place.

  • fiftysevenerfiftysevener Posts: 921 ✭✭✭✭

    @Vetter said:
    It seems that you never know what grade is going to be assigned to Buffalo anymore. Full horns that were once VF are now XF, 1/2 to 3/4 horn VF, the coin pictured and VG’s with partial dates. Oh how the grading standards on Buffalos have changed. I bet you can’t find one 21 s, 24 s or 26 s with a full horn in a VF holder. Many other dates too. It’s a crap shoot anymore with submissions.

    I don't think standards have changed, It's just the deception that has changed. I would think varieties would be graded conservatively wouldn't you ?

  • koynekwestkoynekwest Posts: 10,048 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @fiftysevener said:

    @Vetter said:
    It seems that you never know what grade is going to be assigned to Buffalo anymore. Full horns that were once VF are now XF, 1/2 to 3/4 horn VF, the coin pictured and VG’s with partial dates. Oh how the grading standards on Buffalos have changed. I bet you can’t find one 21 s, 24 s or 26 s with a full horn in a VF holder. Many other dates too. It’s a crap shoot anymore with submissions.

    I don't think standards have changed, It's just the deception that has changed. I would think varieties would be graded conservatively wouldn't you ?

    I vehemently disagree! Grading standards HAVE changed in my opinion. Just look thru an old Brown and Dunn grading guide or the original Photograde by James Ruddy to verify.

  • mannie graymannie gray Posts: 7,259 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @koynekwest said:

    @amwldcoin said:
    H! It's kindda rare to find a FULL HORN in an XF holder for those dates!

    @Vetter said:
    It seems that you never know what grade is going to be assigned to Buffalo anymore. Full horns that were once VF are now XF, 1/2 to 3/4 horn VF, the coin pictured and VG’s with partial dates. Oh how the grading standards on Buffalos have changed. I bet you can’t find one 21 s, 24 s or 26 s with a full horn in a VF holder. Many other dates too. It’s a crap shoot anymore with submissions.

    That's because many of those dates never had a full horn when struck. And it's the biggest reason the "horn thing" never should have been used as a grading criterion in the first place.

    Agree x100

  • mannie graymannie gray Posts: 7,259 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @OnWithTheHunt said:

    @Vetter said:
    For comparison. Coin on the left ANACS F12 and coin on the right PCGS F12. Interesting.

    I'd say the PCGS coin is undergraded if the obverse is as good as the reverse.

    Also, different grading companies have different internal standards.
    That does not mean the coin is graded incorrectly by their standards.

  • koynekwestkoynekwest Posts: 10,048 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Different dates would have different grading standards if grading by the horn. You just can't grade a well struck and decent die state issue like the 1915 with something like a 1924-S or 1926-D. Mercury dimes aren't graded by the strength of the center bands and Standing Liberty quarters aren't graded by the amount of head detail which are two points of the design that are often lacking on those two designs so I don't think a Buffalo nickel should be graded by an often inherently weak detail such as the horn.

  • fiftysevenerfiftysevener Posts: 921 ✭✭✭✭

    @koynekwest said:

    @fiftysevener said:

    @Vetter said:
    It seems that you never know what grade is going to be assigned to Buffalo anymore. Full horns that were once VF are now XF, 1/2 to 3/4 horn VF, the coin pictured and VG’s with partial dates. Oh how the grading standards on Buffalos have changed. I bet you can’t find one 21 s, 24 s or 26 s with a full horn in a VF holder. Many other dates too. It’s a crap shoot anymore with submissions.

    I don't think standards have changed, It's just the deception that has changed. I would think varieties would be graded conservatively wouldn't you ?

    I vehemently disagree! Grading standards HAVE changed in my opinion. Just look thru an old Brown and Dunn grading guide or the original Photograde by James Ruddy to verify.

    It depends upon whose grading standards you use. I have an original Ruddy Photograde. Assigned grades are only relevant to those who wish to pass them along to another receptive individual.

  • koynekwestkoynekwest Posts: 10,048 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Brown and Dunn, Photograde, and the ANA grading guide were widely accepted to determine the grade of a coin before the advent of slabbing.

  • BUFFNIXXBUFFNIXX Posts: 2,719 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I wonder if this coin should have gotten a details grade for what looks to me to be environmental damage
    on the reverse. That black ugly stuff sure looks like "ED" to me , and it is not even mentioned.

    Collector of Buffalo Nickels and other 20th century United States Coinage
    a.k.a "The BUFFINATOR"

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