Buffalo Nickel
1913 – 1938
The name “Buffalo Nickel” is actually a misnomer, as the animal appearing on the reverse is in fact a bison and not a buffalo. The true name of this very popular coin is the Five Cent Indian Head, however, the name “Buffalo Nickel” seems to have been set as its most widely used and accepted name.
The obverse of the Buffalo Nickel features a portrait of a Native American. The “Indian Head” was actually a composite of three different chiefs; John Big Tree, Iron Tail and Two Moons. The word “LIBERTY” appears next to the rim on the upper right side across from the Native American’s eyes.
Buffalo Nickel (Indian Head Five Cents)
The reverse side of the coin features an American Bison, which was confused as a buffalo by the early Americans. The model for the bison is said to have been taken from a well known bison named Black Diamond at the Central Park Zoo. The words “UNITED-STATES-OF-AMERICA” appear in an arc across the top, with the words “E PLURIBUS UNUM” just below the word “AMERICA” and above the bison. “FIVE CENTS” appears at the bottom.
Soon after the Buffalo Nickel went into production it was discovered that the reverse design had a problem. The words “FIVE CENTS” were inscribed upon a raised mound shape which made it very susceptible to wear. During that first year the design was modified by removing the mound so that the words would be lower. It is interesting to note that there was a similar problem with the date, but that was not modified. As a result it is very common to see circulated Buffalo Nickels without a readable date.
The 1913 Buffalo Nickel with the raised date on the mound is known as “Variety 1″, the remainder of the coins are known as “Variety 2″
There are other varieties and oddities including, but not limited to:
- 1916/1916 Doubled Die
- 1918/1917-D Doubled Die Over-date
- 1935 Doubled Die Reverse
- 1937-D which is known as the “3 Legged” Buffalo Nickel. The missing leg was a result of an already heavily worn die being over polished.
Buffalo Nickel (Indian Head Five Cents)
Any Buffalo nickel with a readable date is worth at least thirty-five to forty cents, however, some Buffalo Nickels are worth thousands of dollars.
Buffalo Nickel Specifications
Diameter: 21.2 mm
Weight: 5.0 g
Composition: 75% Nickel 25% Copper
Edge: Plain
Designer: James Earle Fraser
Written by David Slone, Copyright 2008 CoinCollectorGuide.com
 The Buffalo Nickel |  Harris Buffalo Nickels 1913-1938 Coin Folder 2678 |  The True Story of Nickel: The Baby Buffalo Who Thought He Was A Dog |  1937 U.S. Buffalo Nickel |
Buffalo Nickel Mintage Numbers
| 1913 Type 1 … 30,993,520 1913-D Type 1 … 5,337,000 1913-S Type 1 … 2,105,000 1913 Type 2 … 29,858,700 1913-D Type 2 … 4,156,000 1913-S Type 2 … 1,290,000 1914 …… 20,665,738 1914-D … 3,912,000 1914-S … 3,470,000 1915 …… 20,987,270 1915-D … 7,569,000 1915-S … 1,505,000 1916 …… 63,498,066 1916-D … 13,333,000 1916-S … 11,860,000 1917 …… 51,424,019 1917-D … 9,910,000 1917-S … 4,193,000 1918 …… 32,086,314 1918-D … 8,362,000 1918-S … 4,882,000 |
1919 …… 60,868,000 1919-D … 8,006,000 1919-S … 7,521,000 1920 …… 63,093,000 1920-D … 9,418,000 1920-S … 9,689,000 1921 …… 10,663,000 1921-S … 1,557,000 1923 …… 35,715,000 1923-S … 6,142,000 1924 …… 21,620,000 1924-D … 5,258,000 1924-S … 1,437,000 1925 …… 35,565,100 1925-D … 4,450,000 1925-S … 6,256,000 1926 …… 44,693,000 1926-D … 5,638,000 1926-S … 970,000 1927 … 37,981,000 1927-D … 5,730,000 1927-S … 3,430,000 |
1928 … 23,411,000 1928-D … 6,436,000 1928-S … 6,936,000 1929 …… 36,446,000 1929-D … 8,370,000 1929-S … 7,754,000 1930 …… 22,849,000 1930-S … 5,435,000 1931-S … 1,200,000 1934 …… 20,213,003 1934-D … 7,480,000 1935 …… 58,264,000 1935-D … 12,092,000 1935-S … 10,300,000 1936 …… 119,001,420 1936-D … 24,814,000 1936-S … 14,930,000 1937 …… 79,485,769 1937-D … 17,826,000 1937-S … 5,635,000 1938-D … 7,020,000 |
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Hello,
Can you tell me if an Indian Head Nickle without a date has any value?
Thank You
I have an Indian head Nickel and it has no date but i can see were the words Liberty used To be. the coin looks very old. One one side there is the Bison with the words pluribus unum and on the other side is the Indian head but that side of the coin is upside down.
Is it worth anything?
Michael Houghton
England
i hv a 1913 nickel wt a lady on it and 1901 indian head on it and a dime 1916 r they any value
If it is a U.S. nickel, that was minted in 1913, it would have to be a buffalo nickel. The U.S. mint did issue a nickel (known as the ‘Liberty Head’ or ‘V’ nickel)in 1913 which is very rare. It has a lady on it. There are only five known. One sold at auction for almost $4 million on Jan. 10, 2010. Most likely what you have is a buffalo nickel., which has a buffalo (or Bison) on the reverse. If your coin has a ‘V’ on the reverse, then you are a very very lucky person. Even if it is just a buffalo nickel, if the date is readable it is worth at least $8 – $10. If it has a mint mark, which would be the inscription ‘five cents’ it is worth much more! If it has a ‘D’ (minted in Denver) it is worth about $15 or more considering the condition. That is if it of the ‘variety 1′ type, which has no line above ‘FIVE CENTS’ on the reverse. If it is a variety 2. (with a line above ‘FIVE CENTS’) it is worth $100 or more. The buffalo nickel issue was also minted in San Fransisco. Variety 1 can go for $45 or more. Variety 2. can go for $300 or more. Again, the mintmark ‘s’ would be located underneath ‘FIVE CENTS’ on the reverse side of the coin. I hope this helps.
i have a 1901 5 cents coin, with a v on one side, and a lady’s head on the other, is this coin worth anything ? would appreciate any news about this coin.. thanks
What you have is a called a “V” Nickel or Liberty Nickel. You can read about it at http://www.coincollectorguide.com/liberty-nickel/
I have a buffalo collection going. I worry about restored dates. I can tell, most of the time by the line above the date. And just the condition of the reverse in relation to the obverse gives me clues. If the reverse is in bad shape, and the obverse has a ‘strong’ looking date, I am suspicious. Some of the worst ones, to me are valuable even if the date is barely readable. Any restoration/acid dates are not cool. To some people maybe not though. Am I wrong? Buffalo nickels seem to be especially subject to restoration.
See, Buffaloes are going to skyrocket on the collecting market. Watch it happen. Mark my words. People are selling a LOT of restored dates (more than any other type). And people are selling ones that they say are a certain date, but aren’t upon close inspection. In many cases, you can’t tell if it is a ’2′ or a ’3′ in the date. And time goes by. My suggestion is to collect Buffaloes, now – while they are still somewhat readable.
My sister has a 1901 Indian Head nickel with a buffalo on the the back. It has a “V” on the nickel the date is clear. What is the value of this coin. Please respond.
Thank you
Marilee Jackson
I dont know for sure what that is but the “buffalo” nickel wasnt minted until 1913 and the nickel with the “V” is called a Liberty Nickel ( http://www.coincollectorguide.com/liberty-nickel/ ) but it doesn’t have an ‘Indian’ on it.