Posted 05/11/2025 6:02 pm
You have a classic example of a late 1920s Denver Buffalo. After the fairly static mintage figures with pancake strikes for 1924-1927, Denver increased production a bit in 1928 and a more sharply in 1929, mainly by overworking the dies.
Your coin is either LMDS or LDS obverse and reverse, evident from the number of die cracks on both surfaces. Note the obverse cracks up the first feather, through the bottom of the second feather, nose to rim and in the hair part on the obverse and through the buffalo's head, neck to rim below the "U" of UNITED, and lower tail to the rim on the reverse.
Your coin also appears to be 1929-D RPM-001 on Variety Vista, which Wexler lists as 1929-D WRPM-002. This can be hard to spot in later die states.
Despite the later die state, the strike is actually pretty good for Denver. Note the nearly full rachis and full calamus on the second feather and presence of most of the rachis on the first feather. There is average die clashing and die polishing on the coin, most evident on the reverse (especially the buffalo's head and right rear leg). Despite the die polishing, the second feather / U of UNITED clash is still lightly visible.
In terms of circulation wear, and distinguishing that from the die polishing and die state, the buffalo's head is still distinct from the rim, but the buffalo's tail, "F" of FIVE, and "S" of CENTS are starting to merge. PCGS and I part company on grading here. PCGS considers coins with this merging to qualify as EF-40, while I do not. I believe the merger caps a coin at VF-35. On your coin, the braids show wear, but have vertical and horizontal separation. Then hairline at the cheek and forehead is visible but weak, the second feather is sharply separated from the hair, and there is some detail in the hair above the knot. These are consistent with VF-35. On the reverse, the tip of the horn and buffalo's head detail loss is from die polishing and needs to be disregarded in grading, and the detail on the buffalo's upper back, eye, beard, neck, left front leg, and left rear leg are consistent with VF-30. That said, your coin has an edge knock visible at 3 o'clock on the obverse that was hard enough to move metal on the surface.
Overall, I'd place your coin at VF-30 net grade to compensate for the edge knock. Do check out the RPM potential, because this one may well be RPM-001.
Your coin is either LMDS or LDS obverse and reverse, evident from the number of die cracks on both surfaces. Note the obverse cracks up the first feather, through the bottom of the second feather, nose to rim and in the hair part on the obverse and through the buffalo's head, neck to rim below the "U" of UNITED, and lower tail to the rim on the reverse.
Your coin also appears to be 1929-D RPM-001 on Variety Vista, which Wexler lists as 1929-D WRPM-002. This can be hard to spot in later die states.
Despite the later die state, the strike is actually pretty good for Denver. Note the nearly full rachis and full calamus on the second feather and presence of most of the rachis on the first feather. There is average die clashing and die polishing on the coin, most evident on the reverse (especially the buffalo's head and right rear leg). Despite the die polishing, the second feather / U of UNITED clash is still lightly visible.
In terms of circulation wear, and distinguishing that from the die polishing and die state, the buffalo's head is still distinct from the rim, but the buffalo's tail, "F" of FIVE, and "S" of CENTS are starting to merge. PCGS and I part company on grading here. PCGS considers coins with this merging to qualify as EF-40, while I do not. I believe the merger caps a coin at VF-35. On your coin, the braids show wear, but have vertical and horizontal separation. Then hairline at the cheek and forehead is visible but weak, the second feather is sharply separated from the hair, and there is some detail in the hair above the knot. These are consistent with VF-35. On the reverse, the tip of the horn and buffalo's head detail loss is from die polishing and needs to be disregarded in grading, and the detail on the buffalo's upper back, eye, beard, neck, left front leg, and left rear leg are consistent with VF-30. That said, your coin has an edge knock visible at 3 o'clock on the obverse that was hard enough to move metal on the surface.
Overall, I'd place your coin at VF-30 net grade to compensate for the edge knock. Do check out the RPM potential, because this one may well be RPM-001.
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