5549

1918/7-D[5C] MS61 ANACS.

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:1.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1918/7-D[5C] MS61 ANACS.
<B>1918/7-D<5C> MS61 ANACS.</B></I> The 1918/7-D overdate Buffalo nickel is one of the most popular rarities among all of 20th-century American coinage. Like the 1916 Doubled Die variety, this overdate was not discovered and recognized until many years later, in 1931. As there was no initial search in 1918 or the next couple years to find examples, the entire production entered circulation and quickly became worn. As a result, high-grade examples are extremely rare, as those that did survive did so strictly as a matter of chance. Even when the variety was known, widespread knowledge did not exist, and an active search only began in earnest many years later.<BR> Barney Bluestone, a coin auctioneer in the 1930s and 1940s, was the first to publicize this variety, with the publication being in his very first auction catalog. His description was rather extensive for the time: "1918 over 17 D. Mint 5C Nickel. Bold over-date, the only specimen known to exist at the present time. Unc. brilliant. No collection complete without this extreme rarity. This specimen is rarer than the 1913 Liberty Head nickel. Should realize a very high price as this piece is the rarest nickel known."<BR> As with the 1942/1 dime and the 1918/7-S quarter dollar, this overdate is technically a doubled die, the coinage die receiving impressions from two different hubs. During the die manufacturing process, coinage dies were hubbed with two blows from the hub die, but normally these were precisely aligned without any offset. Doubled dies such as the 1916 Doubled Die nickel were created with the two blows from the hub slightly mis-aligned. In the case of these overdates, the two hubs used in the die making process actually had two different dates! But how did this happen? How is it possible that coinage hubs bearing two different dates were used at the same time? The answer is actually quite simple. Dies were being produced near the end of the year, with some bearing the 1917-date for current production, and others bearing the 1918-date for future use. During this process, one die crossed the boundary, receiving an impression from the 1917-dated hub, then a second impression from the 1918-dated hub. All of these 20th-century overdates were created by accident, not intentionally, as they were all discovered many years after production. As no hoards of these overdate nickels have come to light, it seems that they all received widespread and active circulation.<BR> Today, coins are examined for varieties almost immediately upon entering circulation. Such was not the case in 1918, as there were no albums to arrange coins in logical order, and there were no widely distributed coin price guides to inform a large part of the public of these varieties' existence. As such, unusual and interesting die varieties were not saved or even discovered at the time of issue. This example is somewhat softly struck, as a result of the very late die state. The surfaces exhibit full luster beneath attractive light gold toning. Considerable die flowlines are visible in the fields, with the ever-present die crack across the Indian Chief's cheek extending nearly to his mouth.<BR><I>From The Bent Tree Collection, Part Three.</B></I> <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>