Study the descriptions and photographs of each coin and you will be able to identify these coins that you may have in your collection. Many factors go into determining the value of a coin, and the value of Buffalo nickels is no exception. To solve this design problem, the mint recessed the denomination so the rim and a line of dirt below the buffalo would protect the inscription of the denomination. All three mints produced both varieties of these coins, but the San Francisco issue with the “S” mint mark on the reverse is the rarest. Additionally, this rare coin can sell for thousands of dollars even in a well-worn condition such as G-4. In uncirculated grades, the price can exceed $100,000. Therefore, before buying this coin make sure it is certified as genuine and graded by a professional from a third-party grading company. Numismatic experts believe that the mint produced over 100,000 of these coins. A majority of them circulated before collectors could save them for their coin collections. Therefore, the uncirculated specimens are extremely rare. This is another example of an extremely rare mint error. In an extremely well-worn condition, the value of this coin is approaching $1,000. In uncirculated grades, the value can exceed $50,000. Therefore make sure this coin is also certified and graded by a numismatic expert from a third-party grading company. During this time, the manufacturing of coin dies was a very manually intensive process. If you check carefully, you can detect microscopic doubling on just about every coin from this era. This doubling is very strong and is cataloged as variety FS-05-1935-801. Do not mistake this coin for the weaker doubling as found on variety FS-05-1935-803. Unfortunately, unscrupulous people will take a regular 1937-D Buffalo nickel with all four legs and remove the front leg. Expert numismatists can tell if a coin has been altered. Therefore, make sure you acquire a certified specimen or purchase one from a reputable coin dealer.
