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49 bid online atwww.goldbergcoins.com (800) 978-COIN (2646) |
Session Two - Sunday, June 1, 2014 Approx 12:00 PM
BRILLIANT PROOF 1937 BUFFALO NICKEL
259 1937. PCGS graded Proof 66 Cameo. PQ. A gleaming
Superb Gem Brilliant Proof coin that has light cameo frost
on the devices. Only 5,769 struck. When the sale of Proofs
resumed in 1936 the brilliant style was restored, but with-
out the frosted relief that had made earlier Proofs (Liberty
and Shield nickels) so stunning. The textured fields evident
in Fraser’s original models and in the Type 1 coinage of
1913 had been smoothed out by Charles Barber that same
year when he prepared the Type 2 reverse. This made both
obverse and reverse receptive to high polishing, though
such polishing also led to certain low-relief features of the
dies being easily obliterated. Nevertheless, collectors were
more enthusiastic about the end product than they were
with the earlier “matte” Proofs of 1913-16. However, almost
as soon as Proof coinage resumed, the buffalo nickel was
discontinued in favor of the new Jefferson type. This left
only the issues of 1936 and 1937 available to collectors
desiring brilliant Proofs of this beautiful design. Pop 5; 6
finer, 5 in 67, 1 in 67+. (PCGS # 83996)
Estimated Value ........................................ $6,000 - 6,500
260 1937. NGC graded Proof 67. CAC Approved. Lovely rich
golden toning. Only 5,769 struck. The nickel-bright color is
especially vivid on this handsome late-period Buffalo Nickel.
Earlier pieces that were struck in the 1910s, were given a sand-
blast finish. But by the 1930s, the mint had developed the mir-
ror technique and began offering brilliant mirror finish Proofs to
the public starting in 1936. All were carefully made and in very
limited numbers compared to today’s Proof totals. In such cir-
cumstances, the luster cannot stand alone. Desirable also is to
see that this coin is struck with meticulous care by the dies.
Pop 322; 68 finer at NGC.
Estimated Value ..............................................$2,200 - 2,300
1937-D 3 LEGS B UFFALO NICKEL
261 1937-D. 3 Legs. PCGS graded MS-64 PQ. CAC
Approved. A hint of light gold tone on both sides. Very
close to MS-65. A die-polishing error, this was the first of its
kind to catch the attention of collectors. Discovered soon
after its release into circulation, 1937-D 3-leg nickels were
advertised for sale in an advertisement in “The Numismatic
Scrapbook Magazine” as early as 1937-38. The variety was
caused by undue polishing of the dies to eliminate clash
marks. Die clash arises when the feeder fingers of a coin
press fail to deliver a planchet, the dies strike one another,
and each die picks up an imprint of the other die. This
mark, when discovered, usually results in the substitution
of both dies with new ones. In the case of the 1937-D 3-leg
nickel, however, the pressure to complete a coinage run
must have detoured this customary practice. The swifter
solution was sought. Very few Choice Uncirculated MS64
examples are known, coin collectors being equally scarce in
that part of the country, it seems, when they first got paid
out by bank tellers. (For a more detailed account of this
popular variety, see David W. Lange's The Complete Guide
to Buffalo Nickels.) Pop 169; 64 finer, 3 in 64+, 52 in
65, 3 in 65+, 6 in 66. (PCGS # 3982)
Estimated Value ........................................ $7,000 - 7,500
1937-D 3 LEGS B UFFALO NICKEL
262 1937-D. 3 Legs. PCGS graded MS-64 PQ. Lovely
golden toning. A very commendable Mint State 64 of stead-
fast quality, being frosty, lustrous, and pretty much free of
marks. A satiny beauty, a landmark example of the issue.
Regarding the issue, it is arguably America's most talked-
about "error" coin unless one wants to argue minutia and
say that the 1955 Doubled Die Cent edges it out. The date
(along with other famous rarities, including the 1943 "cop-
per" cent and the 1804 dollar) was advertised extensively in
the 1950s and 1960s in kids’ comic books. Just as the qual-
ity of the piece is steadfast, then too must bidders at bid-
ding time hold steadfast against competitors or forever
miss this opportunity. Pop 169; 64 finer, 3 in 64+, 52 in
65, 3 in 65+, 6 in 66. (PCGS # 3982)
Estimated Value ........................................ $6,000 - 6,500