Late Die State 1918/7-D Buffalo Nickel, MS62
Rare in Mint State

1918/7-D 5C MS62 PCGS. The history of U.S. numismatics in the 20th century reveals a number of wartime overdates, including the 1918/7-S Standing Liberty quarter, the 1918/7-D Buffalo nickel, the 1943/2-P Jefferson nickel, and the 1942/1-P and D Mercury dimes. Each of those coins was produced apparently as the result of a dual-hubbing error, in which two differently dated working hubs are used in the sinking of a single working die. At an earlier time in numismatics--and even still today--many collectors wrongly believed that such coins were simply the result of a working die being reengraved toward the end of the year. The slightly more complex truth is that working dies require several blows from a working hub and are "hardened" or annealed by heat between those blows, so that the possibility exists for blows from two different-dated hubs on a single die.
Although the 1918/7-D Buffalo nickel is a popular variety collected alongside the 1916 Doubled Die Obverse and the 1937-D Three Legged Buffalo, it is many times scarcer in Mint State than the latter. David Lange's third edition (2006) of his reference on the series places the estimate of Mint State pieces at two dozen, accounting for resubmissions. Given the current number of Mint State "submission events"--91 coins at NGC and PCGS together--we would place the estimate somewhat higher, between three dozen and four dozen, still placing Mint State examples squarely within the R.5 (or "rare") ranking.
This piece, as all Mint State examples we have offered, shows the diagonal downstroke of the 7 boldly underneath the loops of the 8. This piece is somewhat softly struck and shows signs of considerable die erosion, an interesting characteristic reinforcing the urgency with which the Mint was responding to a wartime shortage of minor coins that resulted in this error's production in the first place. Two other diagnostics are also present: the designer's initial, F, looks like a P. Most examples, except for perhaps those in the earliest die states, have a fine die crack just above and in front of the Indian's braid knot, on the cheek.
The present example, as we mentioned, shows significant die erosion, and the die crack here runs all the way down to the corner of the Indian's mouth, the most advanced state of the dies we have ever seen for this particular error (see closeup). Although the strike is somewhat soft on the high points, full luster is present throughout both sides, and pretty golden-orange patina with a touch of ice-blue at the lower reverse complements the clean surfaces. For any Buffalo nickel die state specialists, this coin is a must-have Uncirculated example of this rare error.(Registry values: N7079) (#3939)

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