Suspicious buffalo

topstuf · December 18, 2003 3:23AM

Just looking at a coin I have had for abt 30 years. Back in 1980 when people were lined up outside the shop to sell silver and gold, there were also tons of just ....coins....coming in....IN BULK. We sold the silver at the end of the day but just threw back all the nickels, steelies, foreign (by weight) and general "stuff." Finally when time allowed, I would sort through the piles of stuff and rolls and bags and in the process filled several "collections" in toto.
This coin is out of one of the buffalo nickel albums. Got to looking at the horrible black "spot" and began thinking of NCS'ing it just to see what would happen. Lots of luster on it but of course that nice black GLOP.
Took it out and glassed it for the first time.

NOW......wondering.

Mushy date........gloppy "Pluribus" ........ "texture" under chin.....and ....the...EDGE.
Sorta looks "two piece" to me.

Whutcha think?

Frontverse

Backverse

Dateverse

Edgeverse

JohnZ · December 18, 2003 3:25AM

Whoa! Definitely weird.

mgoodm3 · December 18, 2003 3:28AM

Gloppy pluribus and is a typical die clash finding. the egde is awful suspicious.

Hoot · December 18, 2003 3:32AM

Can't explain the edge, but the mushy PLURIBUS and the extra metal under the chin are common outcomes of die clashes. Quite common throughout the series. The motto can often be read in reverse under the Indian's chin - this is called "chin whiskers." The chin of the Indian can often leave a horizontal line that extends into the bison's back from the motto. The date on your coin looks like the common weak strike from a 19-S and it's also worn. The die was also likely carded due to the clashing. Look behind the Indian's neck for a sinusoidal line which is the result of dies clashing and is the head and shoulder of the bison.

Hoot

MSD61 · December 18, 2003 5:12AM

The images

Libertad · December 18, 2003 12:43PM

The edge sure looks well-made. Is there any rotation evident?

I have an 18-d that's too good to be real, looks okay under fluorescent lights to weak eyes, but the
luster isn't right, goes up over the devices too richly in the worn spots.
The rotation is in the traditional direction, head of buffalo dipping down from dead on obverse orientation, but more than 30 degrees.

Under 10x, it's clear that it's been painted with metallic paint, and the edge isn't nearly as neatly done as yours appears.

I just put a teeny label in the album marked "Forgery" and it attracts more comments than the decent members of the album.

Edited for spelling

Suspicious buffalo

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