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 Replies: 11 / Views: 2,235 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1291 Posts |
Most of the Buffalo nickels I handle are dateless, but every once in a while I take in a batch that contains full and/or part dates. There is a point in the wear cycle at which a Buffalo nickel ceases to be a "FULL DATE" and becomes a "PART DATE". I find that I struggle awfully hard trying to make that distinction when the coin is borderline between the two. Below are two examples from a batch I took in today. So I ask you...Part Date or Full Date? (And WHY, please...!!)   |
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Valued Member
United States
259 Posts |
IMHO both are full dates as all 4 digits are plainly visible. I don't see how one could call either a "part date" when all 4 digits are visible.
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
I agree full dates. Anything you can see all the digits is a full date to me. It's got a ways to go before being worn down to partial date territory.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1745 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1291 Posts |
Okay, well...great! I tend to agree. But how about these?   |
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Pillar of the Community
1028 Posts |
I struggle with the same problem. I agree it's tough to determine a rubric for what is a full date or a partial. I sold a collection once where I defined each coin as a)full bold date, b)full date, c)full weak date, d) partial date, or e)weak partial date. This allowed me a little more room to work with. I would have placed all of the coins pictured in either my full date or weak full date category, depending on my mood. None are bold, but none are partial in my opinion.
If one must stick to only full date or partial date, I would think of it like this, how well would someone who knows nothing about these coins or even about dates be able to read the numbers. A child perhaps. If I asked a child (old enough to know numbers obviously) to tell me what number the second digit is, would he/she be able to tell me. If the answer is yes, even if it's a bit blurry, then you have a full date.
I think, though I am not certain, that anyone would be able to read all the digits on your coins. I would personally not be offended if I received purchased coins advertised as full dates that looked like that. If a seller said they were bold, I would be disappointed, but for a basic full date designation, they're fine.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1291 Posts |
I guess I'll relax my standards a bit. I would have called the last two partial dates; especially that 1921. Maybe this explains why I've never had a single complaint on the numerous "full date" rolls I've sold on ebay over the years! |
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Moderator
 United States
14463 Posts |
I think the 1921 was close to being a "Partial Date", but you could still make the date out  |
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
I agree the 1921 was getting close but still full dates to me. If you can read it its full, definitely not strong but its readable. Partial date for me would be only being able to read 21 or 192. Something that would call into question what the actual date is
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
I think that it is highly important that the whole date can at least be read with certainty, whatever the state of wear happens to be.
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Valued Member
United States
401 Posts |
Buffalo's are the ultimate character coin, even dateless worn examples are still better looking than anything we've had since 1938. To me those are all full dates. Partial dates are those so worn you can just make out enough information to determine the year. edited to say the 21 is awful close to the line  Edited by paddy murphy
12/28/2013 9:12 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3486 Posts |
I cannot contribute a meaningful opinion, but I want to say
that this discussion contains opinions which are both well thought out and well expressed. I have learned a lot.
And yes, that 1921 is borderline.
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Replies: 11 / Views: 2,235 |
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Posted 12/27/2013 10:27 pm
