Grading Opinions For 1915-S Buffalo Nickel

Looks to me like a nice coin ...lots of luster, little or minor wear on the high areas of the coin design. The only thing I can see is that there appears to be toning on the coin. Which many people find desirable. The mark on the reverse could possibly be toning or not but I believe that it should grade well as high as MS66. Thats my humble opinion.

Can't say too much with these pics. Maybe you can retake them so we could be more useful :/

I found a way to shrink the picture without giving up too much on resolution. Are these better pictures to grade?

Acloco thanks so much for your thoughts and sorry for the delay in acknowledging your response. I will be getting the coin graded soon, but frankly have many of the same thoughts as you. Specifically, 1915-S coins are mentioned by David Lange in his book as notoriously poorly struck. So, the flat areas may simply be, to your very relevant point, worn areas of the die(s). Still, there are areas with really nice detail, such as the hair above the horn and on the back. The tail is flat, but shows a vestige of a split, so given the striking characteristics for this date/mint I feel it would be difficult to call this lower than a 58.

The obverse likewise has mixed characteristics. The date is fully struck; if you look at these coins the 19 is usually blended into the background. Liberty is not fully struck, but nearly so, especially toward the bottom of the letters. The long feather is not separated from the rim, creating the impression that perhaps the strike pressure was not as full on the left side of the obverse.

Lastly, I agree with you about the nicks. Tends to support a grade of 58 though we all see MS coins all the time with nicks. By definition, a 64 has nicks, otherwise it would be a 65, 66, 67, or 68!

I will post when the coin comes back. Hoping for a 64 but thinking it's a 58.

Thanks again so much for the repartee as I seek to learn from more informed numismatists.

I think they may 60 this coin the price between au 50 and ms 60 is $150.00. For an early buffalo I think 60. I'm angry last week I missed a 15 s on ebay ef 40 easy went to NWCoin for $56.00. I confirmed $100.00 bid with 4 sec and thought oh wow I got that for $56.00 I guess 6460 transactions does give you an advantage. That's how I figured out who got it. I had just bought 4 coins from him and his numbers were right in front of me

In the end, this coin came back AU details, improperly cleaned (polished)

Yes, I got it on ebay and successfully returned it for a refund.

We had agreed that as an option to returning the coin, I would get it graded at my cost if graded but his cost plus refund if details or body bagged