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 Replies: 9 / Views: 1,290 |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
3692 Posts |
So I'm looking at a bunch of Buffalo nickels on the PCGS website, and the quality of the relief seems to stop at about AU58. After that (MS grades) they don't seem to increase in detail, only in luster. I guess my question is at what point (grade) are you satisfied for this issue? Are you the kind of collector that MUST have a MS grade for a Buffalo nickel or will an AU grade suffice? Eye appeal counts for a lot, though. Does this set have good cartwheel luster? Also, on the lower end of the spectrum, what is the minimum grade you would collect (please say your type of collecting habits as well because people's styles differ). Dateless, G okay? That would be my personal minimum; I have no dateless buffalos and all are VG or higher. Your input is appreciated. I'm thinking about starting a date set of these in the highest comfortable grade. |
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
If I was trying to do it at a reasonable price I would look for where the huge jump in price happens and go for the grade below it. For a collection though I would definitely want dates and mint mark readable. Doing a date set you should be able to avoid the real back breakers
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Pillar of the Community
Israel
2420 Posts |
I don't collect "grades".
I prefer nice looking AU58 slider over low grade MS if it looks better.
I even prefer sometimes high AU coin over mid MS, if the MS coin has weak details due to strike, and the AU is sharper.
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
I have found the same problem with Buffalo nickels. It is more of a problem with these than other nickel types. I think it may be due to the fact that the nickel in the alloy has hardened the alloy sufficiently enough to make the raising of sharp detail on the highest points of the design difficult to achieve, and this especially applies to the bufalo nickel design. With a near MS grade, have a look at the high points under high magnification and pick if the weak detail in these spots is due to weak strike or wear. This may me hard to detect in a picture, and so makes grading from a computer screen a bit more difficult for near MS grades. A Buffalo nickel that is NOT worn at all on the high points, although may be weak in detail, can still achieve an MS or MS + grade. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3540 Posts |
I am in the same camp as supdog and sel - buy the coin.
I do understand your dilemma though. Buffal nickels (and some other series) are VERY tough to grade. There is quite a few years that strike quality is less than ideal.
On several of the coins, there is a HUGE differential in price between several grades.
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Pillar of the Community
 Canada
3692 Posts |
supgog: I tend to agree with your point. I have AU coins that strike my fancy every time I look at them, plus some of them are toned very nicely. And they cost less than MS coins! However, it's up to the collector to decide what they want in their collection, especially if you had to sell your coins - the same applies.
So is it the specific design that disallows the hard alloy to not move enough to permit the detail in the high points? What about the CuNi nickels from Canada? They have crazy detail.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
624 Posts |
I have passed-up coins because they weren't 'perfect'. It's an easy decision when there's a wide gap between what you're looking for (regarding grade) and what is availalble, but the close ones that I passed up are all regrets. Now, I just buy the coin and when/if I find something better, I upgrade (buy/sell).
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Pillar of the Community
Russian Federation
5174 Posts |
Lowest grade I collect (or would collect)? Identifiable date and mintmark, period. This especially applies to Buffalo nickels (where a partial date counts as identifiable if it's possible to tell what the full date would've been). Highest grade? Well, generally, I don't really do MS unless it's holdered (my current preference is 2x2, but I would've likely been just fine with a slab if I ever got one) because otherwise I wouldn't be able to preserve it, but I kind of doubt that a MS buffalo (or even an AU one) would really be lying around on sale without a holder of any kind; this is kind of a moot point, however, as I'm not sure I could even afford a XF buffalo (okay, maybe a common date from the 1930s if I'm lucky; Numismedia puts an 1937-S at $8 in AU-50 and $3 in XF-40, which is certainly an offer I'd like to see but probably have no chance). |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
500 Posts |
This is a tuffy.
On my late GEM certified run (29 through 38D/S) I kept to 65 or above except the 3-legger(AU55) and while it cost me a fortune I love my "slab album".
In my raw album I stayed with UNC late, and early some, but the key dates was lucky to get F/VF in a few. I know it isn't what most do, but I tried to stay to a budget point per coin and get as good as I could. I splurged on a VF25 3-legger and only got AG3 for the 13S2 but I am happy with most anyway. I'd like to upgrade them all to AU or above, on the long haul for that. LOL
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
I don't usually collect anything under an AU no matter the series. Usually when they get much more wore than that I just don't fine them appealing at all
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Replies: 9 / Views: 1,290 |
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Posted 05/03/2013 8:24 pm
