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.
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.
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
