Buffalo Nickel

The Buffalo nickel also known as the Indian Head nickel was a five cent piece struck by the U.S. Mint from 1913 to 1938. The front, or obverse, of the coin features the right profile of an American Indian, and the back, or reverse, of the coin shows an American bison or buffalo. The buffalo nickel was designed by sculptor James Earle Fraser, and proved to be subject to wear.  The dates below the Indian head easily wore off in circulation.  In 1938, after 25 years, the U.S. Mint replaced the Buffalo nickel with the Jefferson nickel.

Reverse of Buffalo Nickel

In total, there were approximately 1.2-billion Buffalo Nickels minted between 1913 and 1938.  They were minted at three different United States Mints – Philadelphia (no mintmark), Denver (D) and San Francisco (S).

Buffalo Nickels are composed of 75% copper and 25% nickel.  They are a popular coin for both beginner and experienced coin collectors because they are relatively cheap and difficult to find in mint condition.

Some of the more popular Buffalo nickels are shown to the right.  If you are an experienced collector, you may be interested in the graded coins below.