Many dates in the Buffalo series are notorious for weak strikes, making grading of circulated pieces difficult. I'll detail which dates present weak strikes and what to expect in XF and AU in those issues.

Dates with weak strikes.
Contrary to common opinion, 1913 P-D-S Type 1 is not weakly struck; it is weakly designed. "Liberty" is deliberately faded into the rim to accommodate the artist.

ISSUES WITH WEAK STRIKES

1916-S 1919-S 1924-D 1927-D 1917-D 1920-D 1924-S 1928-D 1917-S 1920-S 1925-D 1928-S 1918 1921-S 1925-S 1929-D 1918-D 1923 1926-D 1929-S 1918-S 1923-S 1926-S 1935-S

How weak strike issues appear in XF and AU.
In general, weak strike issues accurately graded XF and AU will appear to the less-trained eye as one grade lower. This tricky situation is often resolved with price.

For example, a 1920-D in XF-45 is Trends priced at $325. A weak strike piece should be priced around $200 to $225. A well struck piece generally commands more than Trends -- around $375 to $450. (Note: 7/07 prices)

Remember, unless you are awfully lucky, when a scarce date is offered at a cheap price, it will more than likely be a weak strike. If you want a sharp strike, be prepared to pay for it!