Who has the best struck mint state 1926-s Buffalo Nickel?

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ejk143
ejk143 Posts: 30 ✭✭
in U.S. Coin Forum

Any candidates? Either your coin or one you know of? Any pictures?

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  • RedRocket
    RedRocket Posts: 1,923 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I will not be competing as I don't own a 1926-S Buffalo (Bison) nickel.

  • Walkerguy21D
    Walkerguy21D Posts: 12,164 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 13, 2026 4:37AM
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    My money is on @ad4400 .
    But there are other enthusiasts on the forum with strong candidates. @crazyhounddog will likely have the prettiest one!

    Edited to add - I assumed the OP meant among the forum members….

    Successful BST transactions with 177 members. breakdown, scotty1419, mattniss, bigjpst, onlyroosies, Manorcourtman, guitarwes, Ebeneezer, Tonedeaf, Shane6596, Piano1, Ikenefic, RG, PCGSPhoto, stman, Don'tTelltheWife, Boosibri, Ron1968, snowequities, VTchaser, jrt103, SurfinxHI, 78saen, bp777, FHC, RYK, JTHawaii, Opportunity, Kliao, bigtime36, skanderbeg, split37, thebigeng, acloco, Toninginthblood, OKCC, braddick, Coinflip, robcool, fastfreddie, tightbudget, DBSTrader2, nickelsciolist, relaxn, Eagle eye, soldi, silverman68, ElKevvo, sawyerjosh, Schmitz7, talkingwalnut2, konsole, sharkman987, sniocsu, comma, jesbroken, David1234, biosolar, Sullykerry, Moldnut, erwindoc, MichaelDixon, GotTheBug
  • coinbuf
    coinbuf Posts: 12,567 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Did you check the top registry sets?

    My Lincoln Registry
    My Collection of Old Holders

    Never a slave to one plastic brand will I ever be.
  • Relaxn
    Relaxn Posts: 1,265 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    The Forsythe coin is a monster.... I believe Hansen has it now as Forsythe retired the set and I know a few of his sets hit the market.

    A well struck 26s is rarified air. Usually the biggest of collectors are going to have the monster 24s and 26s Buffs.... not for the everyman.

  • 124Spider
    124Spider Posts: 1,270 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I'm sure mine was the "best struck" when it was "mint state." But it's now VF35, so I can't prove it. ;)

  • TallahasseeCoinClub
    TallahasseeCoinClub Posts: 474 ✭✭✭✭
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    26-S and 24-S are just oh-so-tough to find truly "nice".

    Personally, I think the 24-S is more difficult.

    Official PCGS account of:

    www.TallahasseeCoinClub.com

  • leothelyon
    leothelyon Posts: 8,568 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @coinbuf said:
    Did you check the top registry sets?

    Coinfacts is where to go.

    The year 1921 was the only early date a fully detailed strike can be seen. The 1930's did better. So locating a 1926-S example that matches the detail of the 1921, they don't exist. They come close but no cigar! The finer details of the side ponytail and tie.

    Leo

    The more qualities observed in a coin, the more desirable that coin becomes!

    My Jefferson Nickel Collection

  • coinbuf
    coinbuf Posts: 12,567 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 13, 2026 1:40PM
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    @leothelyon said:
    Coinfacts is where to go.

    Not especially, if you recall several years ago most of the photos were purged from coinfacts.

    My Lincoln Registry
    My Collection of Old Holders

    Never a slave to one plastic brand will I ever be.
  • leothelyon
    leothelyon Posts: 8,568 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    What's there is all viewers have to go on unless they figure out they want to click away on registry sets...if they had TV's done. lol

    The more qualities observed in a coin, the more desirable that coin becomes!

    My Jefferson Nickel Collection

  • rooksmith
    rooksmith Posts: 1,432 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 13, 2026 3:56PM
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    David L Hanson ,

    https://coinweek.com/eclipsing-eliasberg-d-l-hansens-numismatic-moonshot-for-the-greatest-collection-of-all-time/

    However, he has passed. But he had a great collection. Owning one of his coins is like owning a piece of numismatic history.

    “When you don't know what you're talking about, it's hard to know when you're finished.” - Tommy Smothers
  • rooksmith
    rooksmith Posts: 1,432 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    PCGS Coinfacts has this one as the best of all time MS65 :smile:

    “When you don't know what you're talking about, it's hard to know when you're finished.” - Tommy Smothers
  • jdimmick
    jdimmick Posts: 9,992 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Not eligible: I have a solid struck one, Not the best , but nice, but only a pcgs 55 cac, couldnt ever find a nice Lower Ms that looked decent, and a nice 4 , especially 5 is out of my price range. Next time I get them out of sdb, I upload a pic.

  • lkenefic
    lkenefic Posts: 9,518 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I have a well worn F-12 26-S in my album... very tough to find fully struck in higher grades... For me, this represented the more difficult series to grade, especially when it came to AU to low-MS pieces. I fell back to lower grade (VF/XF) pieces that were much easier to tell actual wear from poor strike. Awesome series though...

    Collecting: Dansco 7070; Middle Date Large Cents (VF-AU); Box of 20;

    Successful BST transactions with: SilverEagles92; Ahrensdad; Smitty; GregHansen; Lablade; Mercury10c; copperflopper; whatsup; KISHU1; scrapman1077, crispy, canadanz, smallchange, robkool, Mission16, ranshdow, ibzman350, Fallguy, Collectorcoins, SurfinxHI, jwitten, Walkerguy21D, dsessom.
  • BuffaloIronTail
    BuffaloIronTail Posts: 7,765 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    26-S wasn't struck well from the get-go. Smeary looking coins abound that only made the ones that received wear look mushy and not attractive at all.

    I may be wrong, but I personally think that there were no fully struck specimens minted................at least I never saw one.

    Pete

    "I tell them there's no problems.....only solutions" - John Lennon
  • MrEureka
    MrEureka Posts: 24,777 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @ejk143 said:
    Who has the best struck mint state 1926-s Buffalo Nickel?

    Alibaba

    Andy Lustig

    Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.

    Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
  • pcgsregistrycollector
    pcgsregistrycollector Posts: 2,325 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @rooksmith said:
    David L Hanson ,

    https://coinweek.com/eclipsing-eliasberg-d-l-hansens-numismatic-moonshot-for-the-greatest-collection-of-all-time/

    However, he has passed. But he had a great collection. Owning one of his coins is like owning a piece of numismatic history.

    I had no idea DL passed. Is that true?

    Proud follower of Christ! I love the USA! Land of the Bright and Beautiful! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

  • david3142
    david3142 Posts: 3,693 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 14, 2026 1:14PM
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    @pcgsregistrycollector
    His name is Dell Loy Hansen and he is still alive so @rooksmith got that one wrong in a few ways.

  • JBatDavidLawrence
    JBatDavidLawrence Posts: 509 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I can confirm that Mr. Hansen is still alive and well. Perhaps there was confusion because we do sell duplicates from his collection, but the primary sets are all still intact. Some of the sets are retired at PCGS, but none of the primary coins have been sold, nor are there plans to do so in the near future.

    John Brush
    President of David Lawrence Rare Coins www.davidlawrence.com
    email: John@davidlawrence.com
    2022 ANA Dealer of the Year, Past Chair of NCBA (formerly ICTA), PNG Treasurer, Instructor at Witter Coin University, former Instructor/YN Chaperone ANA Summer Seminar, Coin World Most Influential, Curator of the D.L. Hansen Collection
  • ad4400
    ad4400 Posts: 2,293 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @Walkerguy21D , thanks for the shout out. Sadly I was/am budget constrained to XF for that date. While I feel I did ok for the given budget, it was never going to be the star of my set.

    Liberty Nickel Digital Album
    Buffalo Nickel Digital Album
    Toned Buffalo Date SetDigital Album

    https://pcgs.com/setregistry/mysetregistry/album/411385 7070 Registry<
  • pcgsregistrycollector
    pcgsregistrycollector Posts: 2,325 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @JBatDavidLawrence said:
    I can confirm that Mr. Hansen is still alive and well. Perhaps there was confusion because we do sell duplicates from his collection, but the primary sets are all still intact. Some of the sets are retired at PCGS, but none of the primary coins have been sold, nor are there plans to do so in the near future.

    Thats good to hear. He has an amazing collection!

    Proud follower of Christ! I love the USA! Land of the Bright and Beautiful! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

  • rooksmith
    rooksmith Posts: 1,432 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Sorry for the confusion about DL. So he still is the GOAT of Registry sets, as far as I am concerned. I did see a few of his coins out there. Is he a member of collectors.com by chance? If so live long and prosper!

    “When you don't know what you're talking about, it's hard to know when you're finished.” - Tommy Smothers
  • MrEureka
    MrEureka Posts: 24,777 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @rooksmith said:
    Sorry for the confusion about DL. So he still is the GOAT of Registry sets, as far as I am concerned. I did see a few of his coins out there. Is he a member of collectors.com by chance? If so live long and prosper!

    And if not? 😮

    Andy Lustig

    Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.

    Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.

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