Lot 1172
1917-S. PCGS graded MS-65. CAC Approved PQ. Lovely rich golden toning. Boldly struck. Some minor flyspecks visible with a 5x glass. A glistening gem with luster that practically flies off the surface. Subtle hints of champagne to deeper amber toning bring to life the expansiveness of the strike while it enhances the unexpectedly beautiful eye appeal of this elusive 1917-S specimen. It is safe to say that the greater part of the 4.1 million Nickels struck in the San Francisco Mint in 1917 went into circulation and remained there until worn or lost. The low census confirms this: Pop 79; 23 finer, 1 in 65+, 22 in 66 (PCGS # 3936) .
It appears that even the artist who designed this piece, James Earle Fraser, preferred the familiar term "buffalo" to the more zoologically correct bison. Semantics aside, the model for the nickel’s reverse is known to have been a bull named Black Diamond. This animal was then a resident of New York City’s Central Park Zoo and was already about seventeen years old at the time. Fraser’s own correspondence reveals his exasperation in attempting to keep this beast posed in profile as depicted on the coin. Evidently quite uncooperative, it insisted on confronting the artist head on and would return to this stance immediately after being corrected.
Black Diamond has occasionally been cited as the model for the $10 United States Note of 1901, the so-called "buffalo bill." This attribution is incorrect, as the greenback actually portrays Pablo, a star attraction at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. This mistaken identity is understandable, as the $10 note was in use alongside the nickel through the late 1920s. See David Lange’s articles and book for more extensive history on the fascinating Buffalo nickel.
Estimated Value $4,000 - 4,500.
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| Realized $5,060 |
