Posted 06/05/2020 11:53 pm
Nice one!LMDS obverse, MDS reverse. There is nearly a coast-to-coast die break on the obverse, from just below the tip of the second feather through the "BE" of LIBERTY. Despite a lot of expected life remaining from the wear, that die was nearly finished. This is a prime example of what I've said many times: the mint had no idea how to address the overly complicated design in order to get a better strike, and compensated by increasing striking pressure until the dies failed prematurely.
The strike is decent, but not exceptionally strong. There is strong evidence of clash polishing, with heavy die scratches on the reverse from the polishing. The polishing weakened key elements of the design, including the rachis on the second feather and the buffalo's right rear leg. This coin is much less baggy than most early Buffs.
In terms of technical grade, compensating for strike and die polishing, the obverse is AU-55 and the reverse is AU-58. There is evidence of luster in the protected areas, and a small central device halo. The blended grade would likely be AU-55, eliminating any need for eye appeal adjustments for strike, die state, or polishing.
I really like the history lesson the obverse die crack and heavy reverse polishing lines tell. I think your purchase price is about on the mark.
