5513

1913[5C] Type One 3 1/2 Legs MS65 NGC.

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:1,050.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1913[5C] Type One 3 1/2 Legs MS65 NGC.
<B>1913<5C> Type One 3 1/2 Legs MS65 NGC.</B></I> FS-014.85. This early rarity from the Buffalo nickel series was just recently certified. Shortly after certification, it was featured in a full-page article in the Collectors' Clearinghouse section of <I>Coin World,</B></I> June 7, page 104. In that article by Eric von Klinger, he uses the terms "abraded" and "overpolishing" interchangeably. (We point this out to our readers as we have always used the word "abraded" to mean marks from other coins). Part of Mr. von Klinger's article explains how this rarity was created:<BR> "James Earl Fraser's design for the Buffalo nickel, as it is commonly known, left the animal's forelegs relatively shallow in the die. When a reverse die had to be abraded to remove marks, the detail in this area was most at risk of being abraded away altogether. Such vigorous abrasion, or 'polishing,' is typical when two dies have come together in the coining press without a planchet between them, transferring design elements to each other in the form of 'clash marks.' "<BR> The best known example of this overpolishing is the 1937-D Three-Legged nickel. That issue has been a collector favorite since its discovery. However, its popularity far exceeds its actual rarity, and in a situation similar to 1909-S VDB cents, its value is derived more from perception of rarity and popularity rather than absolute rarity. Such is not the case with this issue. The 3 1/2 Legged 1913 is rare in the absolute sense, and since first it was first discovered in 1995 (by the present consignor, coincidentally), very few specimens have surfaced.<BR> By definition, any Buffalo nickel with a partial or completely missing foreleg is a rare item. Since the dies were clashed and then "abraded" to remove evidence of the die clashing, only a limited number of examples could have been struck from such damaged and reworked dies. High prices are the norm for partial or missing foreleg Buffaloes. The best known of these, as mentioned, is the 1937-D. Auction prices in MS65 condition over the past two years have ranged from $10,000 to as much as $26,000 for this error. The 1936-D 3 1/2 Legs is listed as having a retail value of $300 in Good 4 to $1,200 in XF40. In 2003, Bowers and Merena sold a PCGS MS64 1913 Type One 3 1/2 Legs for $19,550. This is the finest example certified by either of the major services. The striking details are exceptionally strong on this piece, as one would expect on a Type One nickel, and each side has lovely gray-olive patina with a strong underlying presence of lilac. It is evenly balanced from side to side with no obvious or distracting abrasions. An important opportunity for the advanced collector of this immensely popular 20th century series. <BR><BR><B>Important notice:</B> Heritage usually auctions material at the rate of 200-250 lots per hour. On some occasions eBay Live bid software or the Internet may not be able to keep up with the pace of the auction. We recommend placing a realistic absentee bid now as insurance to avoid disappointment. Occasionally the auctioneer may eliminate or reject an eBay Live bid, and the auctioneer may also reopen a lot after the close of the eBay live bidding (usually because we missed an audience bid), and may reject your bid even if it shows you as the winning bidder. By bidding via eBay Live, you agree that Heritage may award the lot to another bidder at its sole discretion under the circumstances described above or any other reasonable circumstances. Since eBay bids are not shown to us until we open the lot on the floor, we treat those bids just like floor bids. In most cases the floor responds before the eBay bid is presented to us, due to Internet lag time, so for consistency we have made it a policy that floor bids are always considered first over tie eBay live bids. Also please note that all Heritage lots purchased through eBay Live carry a 20% Buyer's Premium. Please make sure you read the Terms and Conditions before you bid. </span></font></tr></table></td></tr></table>