1915-S 5C MS67 PCGS....

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Incredible Superb Gem 1915-S Nickel

1915-S 5C MS67 PCGS. In his Complete Guide to Buffalo Nickels, David Lange offers a number of cautions about the 1915-S issue. First is a warning on overall rarity, that the "1915-S is truly scarce to rare across all grades. ... Most seen are AG - VG. Other grades are very scarce, while choice and gem examples are genuinely rare." Superb Gems take this rarity to an extreme; NGC has graded no MS67 examples, leaving the three PCGS-certified pieces at that level tied for finest known (3/09).
Lange's second concern involves the strike: the 1915-S, like a number of later S-mints, can come with poor definition. As the author notes, while a few pieces are relatively well-defined, "More common, however, are poorly struck pieces." The present example is substantially above-average with crisp detail everywhere save for the letters of Liberty, an area which several writers have highlighted as consistently being weak regardless of the boldness found elsewhere.
A third and final red flag is the toning. As stated by Lange, "As with 1915-D, there seem to be quite a number of toned examples, with this toning rarely being attractive. Dull, monochromatic toning of brownish gold is typical." Once again, this Superb Gem bucks the trend, with only light orange and blue hues that allow the coin's strong luster to shine through. In all respects, this carefully preserved survivor is a remarkable exemplar, worthy of the finest collection devoted to the series.
From The Joseph C. Thomas Collection.(Registry values: N4719)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 22R9, PCGS# 3929, GSID# 3109)

Metal: 75% Copper, 25% Nickel
Weight: 5.00 grams
Weight: 0.13228oz
Mintage: 1,505,000

View all of [The Joseph C. Thomas Collection, Part Two ]

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