Coin Community Family of Web Sites Join Thousands of Coin, Bullion, & Money Collectors
300,000 items to help build your collection! Specializing in Modern Numismatics Royal Canadian Mint products, Canadian, Polish, American, and world coins and banknotes. Coin, Banknote and Medal Collectors's Online Mall Join Thousands of Coin, Bullion, & Money Collectors Vancouvers #1 Coin and Paper Money Dealer Royal Estate Auctions - $1 Coin Auctions








Username:
Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?


This page may contain links that result in small commissions to keep this free site up and running.

Welcome Guest! Registering and/or logging in will remove the anchor (bottom) ads. It's Free!

1920 Copper Buffalo Nickel?

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.
Author Previous TopicReplies: 32 / Views: 10,797Next Topic
Page: of 3
Rest in Peace
moxking's Avatar
United States
17900 Posts
 Posted 11/12/2016  6:21 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add moxking to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
As has been said, without a very accurate weight your question simply can't be answered. Or, if it can, it's probably correct in assuming this coloration is nothing more than heavy patination.
Bedrock of the Community
coop's Avatar
United States
62064 Posts
 Posted 11/12/2016  6:22 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add coop to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
If it were on a cent planchet, then it would weight the same weight of a cent and be the same size as a cent in diameter. Then the devices would fall over the edge of the coin like this coin that was given to me by my brother in law.
1920-Copper-Buffalo-Nickel?
1920-Copper-Buffalo-Nickel?
New Member
United States
11 Posts
 Posted 11/12/2016  6:49 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add caddywompas to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I will get the weight from a local certified coin dealer.

Can anyone verify from the link I provided if there was indeed such a coin as a 1920 Buffalo nickel struck out of a full size copper planchet?
Bedrock of the Community
paralyse's Avatar
United States
12057 Posts
 Posted 11/12/2016  11:30 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add paralyse to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
In late 2015 a 1936 (?) Buff struck on a blank intended for a Nicaraguan centavo coin (bronze alloy) certified by PCGS sold for $7.5k, and other examples of off-metal strikes are known for Buffs.

That being said, a look the claimed composition of the one in the link provided for the supposed 1920 coin: according to that link the comp was determined by some unknown method to be 89/8/3 copper/zinc/tin, which would be a brass (tombac) 10% alloy with tin as the colorant and it would amenable to being struck into a coin; but I'm not sure how a blank of said material would have gotten into the press to be minted or if any coins of the era were minted of similar composition.
Member ANA - EAC - TNA - SSDC - CCT #890

"Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." -- Louis D. Brandeis
Moderator
Learn More...
John1's Avatar
United States
56855 Posts
 Posted 11/13/2016  04:39 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add John1 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Did the U.S.Mint mint any coins for other countries,in that composition around that year?
John1
Moderator
Learn More...
jbuck's Avatar
United States
189053 Posts
New Member
United States
11 Posts
 Posted 11/14/2016  5:25 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add caddywompas to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Weighs in at 5.06 grams. Any thoughts?
Bedrock of the Community
biokemist6's Avatar
United States
12437 Posts
 Posted 11/14/2016  5:36 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add biokemist6 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
As I posted it was not found in the ground.

You may not have found it on the ground but someone else certainly did at some point since 1920. The dusty greenish brown color is entirely consistent with a cupronickel coin that has spent significant time in contact with soil- that is the color of corrosion.
Moderator
Learn More...
jbuck's Avatar
United States
189053 Posts
 Posted 11/14/2016  5:45 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add jbuck to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
Weighs in at 5.06 grams. Any thoughts?
Well within tolerance for a normal nickel. So it is just that, albeit one that has toned.
Pillar of the Community
jasper62's Avatar
United States
2189 Posts
 Posted 11/14/2016  5:45 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add jasper62 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
Ask any metal detector enthusiast if he has not seen this look before.


I have found 2 Buffalo nickels in five years of metal detecting and they both looked like this one.They were so worn down I couldn't even make out the dates but they were about the same color as this one
Moderator
Learn More...
John1's Avatar
United States
56855 Posts
 Posted 11/14/2016  5:51 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add John1 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Normal weight is 5g,Byers coin is 4.96g and the op's is 5.06g.So,all within mint tolerance. Next step would be an XRF analysis if you really think it is an off metal error. Good luck.
John 1
Valued Member
NH collector's Avatar
United States
127 Posts
 Posted 12/04/2016  4:45 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add NH collector to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
A small test file mark on the edge will tell the story. If it is copper, the file mark would not affect the value.
Pillar of the Community
kbbpll's Avatar
United States
4233 Posts
 Posted 12/04/2016  5:39 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add kbbpll to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
The NGC cert is valid on that other one (https://www.NGCcoin.com/certlookup/1625751-001/) and I'd assume they would have tested it to provide those composition numbers. That one is AU55 so it circulated. Certainly where there's one, there could be more, but I have also seen Jefferson nickels with this color from toning/env damage. You could send it to NGC, or forum member SPP-Ottawa has offered XRF analysis to others over on the Canadian variety forum; you could try to contact him.
Bedrock of the Community
Conder101's Avatar
United States
17884 Posts
 Posted 12/05/2016  6:02 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Conder101 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
There are a couple early date buffalos known on copper planchets, but the overwhelming likelyhood is that this is an environmentally discolored coin. Weight is not going to tell you anything because copper and nickel are almost exactly the same weight and density so any disk of the same size made of copper or nickel or any alloy of the two will all weigh the same to within tolerance ranges. For that reason a specific gravity test is also worthless. About the only non-destructive way to determine the composition will be XRF analysis. And even that has its shortcomings in that it only tests the surface (and very slightly below).
Valued Member
shermae's Avatar
United States
259 Posts
 Posted 07/02/2019  9:41 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add shermae to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
To my eyes it looks corroded
  Previous TopicReplies: 32 / Views: 10,797Next Topic
Page: of 3

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.



    




Disclaimer: While a tremendous amount of effort goes into ensuring the accuracy of the information contained in this site, Coin Community assumes no liability for errors. Copyright 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Family- all rights reserved worldwide. Use of any images or content on this website without prior written permission of Coin Community or the original lender is strictly prohibited.
Contact Us  |  Advertise Here  |  Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

Coin Community Forum © 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Forums
It took 0.46 seconds to rattle this change. Forums