The Complete 1928 Buffalo Nickel Value Guide

The Two Feathers error on the 1928-S Buffalo Nickel is the result of aggressive die polishing by San Francisco Mint workers, likely performed to extend die life or remove an earlier die clash or imperfection. During this polishing, the third feather in the Native American's headdress was inadvertently ground away, leaving a conspicuous flat or recessed zone where it should appear. The error is catalogued by CONECA as FS-401 and is unique to San Francisco issues.

To identify the variety, examine the headdress on the obverse with a 10× loupe. A normal 1928-S shows three feathers fanning outward from the headband, each with a clearly raised outline and tip. On an FS-401 specimen, the third (outermost) feather is absent — its space replaced by a smooth, polished surface that contrasts with the textured areas of normal coin wear. The two remaining feathers appear fully formed, making the absence of the third even more obvious under magnification.

Collectors prize this variety for its clear visual impact and its documentary significance — it provides tangible evidence of mint worker intervention on a working die. Demand is strong and consistent, anchored by Heritage Auctions sales of $2,040 in MS-63 and $816 in MS-55. The same Two Feathers variety on adjacent dates (e.g., 1927-S) has realized over $2,000 at auction, confirming that 1928-S prices are in line with series-wide benchmarks.

An off-center strike occurs when the planchet is not properly seated between the dies at the moment of striking. The coin presses record a full impression on only part of the blank, leaving a crescent-shaped area of unstruck, smooth metal on the opposite side. The degree of misalignment is expressed as a percentage of the coin's diameter that was left blank by the strike. This type of error can occur on coins from any of the three 1928 mints.

When examining an off-center 1928 Buffalo Nickel, look for a visible raised rim on the struck portion contrasting with the flat, un-rimmed blank area. The design elements — the Native American portrait on the obverse and the bison on the reverse — will be compressed toward one edge. A critical grading and value factor is whether the date remains readable: collectors strongly prefer examples where the full "1928" date is still visible within the shifted design area, even at significant off-center percentages.

Value scales with the degree of misalignment. Minor off-center strikes (5–10%) add a modest premium. At 15–25% off-center with a clearly readable date, premiums become significant — a 1928-P struck 15% off-center graded VF-30 sold for $400. Coins struck 40–50% off-center with the date intact are the most dramatic and command the highest prices. Any example should be examined under magnification to confirm the error is a genuine mint mistake rather than a damaged coin.

Clipped planchet errors arise during the blanking stage of coin production, when a machine punches circular blanks from a strip of metal. If a subsequent blank is punched from a strip that has already been partially fed through — overlapping a hole left by an earlier punch — the resulting blank will be missing a curved section. When this imperfect planchet is struck, the coin is produced with a noticeably curved or straight void along its edge. The 1928-S ragged clipped planchet is a documented variant within this error type.

To identify a clipped planchet on a 1928 Buffalo Nickel, examine the coin's edge closely. A curved clip produces a smooth, concave arc along the rim, while a straight clip creates a flat edge. Look also for the Blakesley effect — a weakness in the design elements on the side of the coin directly opposite the clip. This diagnostic feature confirms the clip is a genuine mint error and not post-mint damage or filing. The weakness occurs because metal flow during striking is disrupted by the missing planchet material.

Clipped planchets on Buffalo Nickels are relatively uncommon compared to later series and add a meaningful premium over standard examples. Severity and position drive value — clips affecting more than 10–15% of the coin's circumference, especially those with clear Blakesley effect, are most desirable. A 1928-S with a ragged clipped planchet graded MS-61 sold for over $160 at auction. Curved clips generally command more than straight clips due to their more visually dramatic appearance.

A doubled die error results from the hub-to-die transfer process used to produce working dies. If the working die is improperly aligned during a second hubbing — when the master hub is pressed into the die to sharpen or complete the design — the result is a die with a slight mechanical offset across some or all of its design elements. Every coin struck by that die will carry the doubling as a permanent feature. On 1928 Buffalo Nickels, the doubled die error appears primarily on the obverse date and lettering or on the reverse legend and denomination.

To identify a doubled die on a 1928 Buffalo Nickel, use a 10× loupe and focus first on the date. A genuine DDO or DDR will show a distinct shadow or second image within the design elements — the numerals or letters will appear to have a mechanical shelf or step-like offset rather than the fuzzy, rounded appearance of normal die wear or machine doubling. On the reverse, look for doubling on the words FIVE CENTS and E PLURIBUS UNUM. The doubling direction (rotational, tilted, or lateral) helps establish which hub position was involved.

Collectors increasingly seek out subtle doubled die examples across the Buffalo Nickel series as the major key dates become too expensive for general budgets. A prominent DDO or DDR on a 1928 issue can add significant premium — lower-grade examples with clear doubling have sold for several hundred dollars, and high-grade certified examples with strong doubling can command substantially more. Submission to PCGS or NGC for attribution is recommended before offering for sale, as the premium depends on professional confirmation.

Die cracks form when a working die develops fractures from the repeated stress of striking thousands of coins. The fractured zone in the die becomes recessed, and metal flows into it during each subsequent strike, producing a raised line on the coin's surface. A die cud is a more dramatic form of the same failure — a piece of the die actually breaks away entirely, leaving a large raised blob of unstruck metal, typically along the rim, where the missing die segment created a void. Buffalo Nickel dies were notoriously prone to wear and cracking due to the series' high-relief design.

Die cracks on 1928 Buffalo Nickels are best identified by holding the coin under a single directional light source and rotating it slowly. Raised lines traversing the field or design elements — particularly those that run from rim to rim or from the rim through major design features — are the defining diagnostic. A cud appears as a clearly raised, featureless blob at the coin's rim, sometimes spanning several millimeters along the edge. True die cracks are raised above the coin's surface; post-mint scratches are incuse (below the surface).

Minor hairline die cracks add only modest value to a 1928 Buffalo Nickel — perhaps $20–$50 above the normal grade premium. However, dramatic cracks traversing the obverse portrait or the bison on the reverse, and especially terminal cuds showing major die failure, can command meaningful premiums from error and variety collectors. The Buffalo Nickel series is particularly well-documented for die crack progression, and some collectors assemble sets showing a die's crack development from early-state to terminal break. Die state and crack severity are the primary value drivers.