1925-S Buffalo Nickel. MS-65 (PCGS). CAC.The offered coin exhibits memorable Gem quality for a challenging San Francisco Mint nickel. Both sides are lightly to moderately toned over surfaces that exhibit a remarkable exactness of strike for a 1925-S nickel. The texture is smooth and satiny. We anticipate keen interest in this piece among astute bidders. One of the most poorly produced issues in this series, the 1925-S is typically encountered with extreme softness of detail in the center of the obverse, over the high points of the bison on the reverse, and/or in the mintmark area on the latter side. This problem is the result of two deficiencies in the striking process: wide distance between the dies in the press and the use of worn dies. On many mintmarked 1925 Buffalo nickels that this cataloger has seen, in fact, the mintmark is little more than a shapeless blob, making it impossible to attribute the coins as 1925-D or 1925-S. Due primarily to the poor quality of strike, this issue is notoriously difficult to locate in accurately graded Gem Mint State, as here. This will be a significant find for the advanced collector specializing in this popular, yet challenging series.From the High Rise Collection.
