5099

1937-D 3 LEGS MS 66 PQ PCGS. Tremendous eye appeal with

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:2,200.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1937-D 3 LEGS MS 66 PQ PCGS. Tremendous eye appeal with
<B>1937-D<5C> Three-Legged MS66 PCGS.</B></I> For a key-date issue as perennially popular as is the 1937-D Three-Legged Buffalo, it is also perennially mystifying how few collectors bother to learn the characteristics of genuine examples. Although the record for numbers of popular coins that are counterfeited likely belongs to the 1916-D Mercury dime, there are also considerable numbers of bogus 1937-D Three-Legged Buffalos floating around the marketplace "raw" or uncertified.<BR> The easiest way to create a counterfeit Three-Legged Buffalo, of course, is to remove portions of the front leg from a "regular" 1937-D nickel--but that will produce a coin that still lacks most of the characteristics of the Three-Legged Buffalo. Just a single pair of dies was used to strike this variety. Among the many key diagnostics to look for on a genuine coin are these:<BR><BR> <B>Obverse: Rust pits, flaws, and die crack.</B></I> Although few of the references mention it, this issue always shows patches of roughness on the obverse, apparently created from die rust. One patch is on the top of the Indian's neck, just below the juncture with the hair. Another shows to the left of the longest feather about midway down, in the hair. Other patches are just above the obverse rim at 6 o'clock, and on the front of the neck, beneath the jawline. A small die crack runs southeast through this patch, with a small, comma-shaped lump near its lowest point.<BR><BR> <B>Reverse: Beard, hoof and leg, die lumps, spindly rear leg.</B></I> The reverse of a genuine 1937-D Three-Legged Buffalo also has numerous diagnostics that are easy to spot. The buffalo's beard is pointed, and longer on the right (facing) side than the left. Although a Mint employee removed the front leg with an emery board, the hoof is still present. There is a stream of raised die lumps running downward between the front and rear legs. The rear right leg