1924-S Buffalo Nickel, Choice Very Fine, With Complete Horn
1924-S Buffalo Nickel, Choice Very Fine, With Complete Horn
A genuine VF example of this problematic date. While PCGS CoinFacts declares “strike can be an issue” with this date, that understates the case. Not only is this one of the toughest dates in my opinion to find well struck and correctly graded in VF, even more so than the 1925-S, it also seems to have one of the worst problems with cracked/worn dies and poor planchets. The sharpest struck coins always seem to be made on the worst planchet stock, with strike throughs and planchet flaws being very common. This coin shows the typical surface you seem to find on these, with a slightly “pebbled” look to the Obverse caused by a worn die (emphasized by the three obvious die cracks), although the overall detail is good. The Reverse is evenly struck with the Bison displaying a complete horn, albeit a bit weak at the tip. One only has to look at the legion of PCGS & NGC certified coins with as little as 2/3 of a horn in VF-30 holders to get an idea of the problem. The last comparable example to this coin I could find in the Heritage archives was PCGS VF-35 and not much sharper, selling at $477 - eight years ago. Another PCGS example which I could not get a really good look at as the Reverse images was fuzzy is currently being offered at $719 by a “name” dealer who is actually known for quality. A coin graded PCGS “XF-40” with far less horn is being offered at $695 (March, 2020). Overall, I would say that my asking price is reasonable, given the options available that appear to offer a lesser coin, for more money. As always, guaranteed genuine, and I think I can safely say guaranteed to certify as a VF at PCGS or NGC.