Posted 03/20/2026 11:05 am
The 1926-S is everybody's strike quality nightmare (along with 1924-D and 1925-D). This coin is a decent strike for the year, probably in the middle third for strike quality. It has a full rachis and calamus on the second feather and most of the rachis on the first feather. The braids, date, and ribbons are weak. The reverse is a bit more typically weak, with little detail on the eye, beard, and ribs.
There is a worn lamination diagonally across the lower second feather, neck, and braid, but that doesn't look deep enough to make PCGS detail it for a planchet flaw.
It looks like it's been cleaned (wiped). I don't think PCGS would straight grade it, and would give a 92 code for the cleaning.
By appearance, this would be G-04 or G-06 Details, but when the strike is taken into consideration, I think this coin checks in a notch higher at VG-08 Details. That said, as details 1926-S Buffs go, this one looks pretty decent. A number of coins from this era have the infamous "red rot" on them, and this one definitely isn't in that camp.
There is a worn lamination diagonally across the lower second feather, neck, and braid, but that doesn't look deep enough to make PCGS detail it for a planchet flaw.
It looks like it's been cleaned (wiped). I don't think PCGS would straight grade it, and would give a 92 code for the cleaning.
By appearance, this would be G-04 or G-06 Details, but when the strike is taken into consideration, I think this coin checks in a notch higher at VG-08 Details. That said, as details 1926-S Buffs go, this one looks pretty decent. A number of coins from this era have the infamous "red rot" on them, and this one definitely isn't in that camp.
