U.S. Buffalo Nickels (1913-1938)

Learn More About U.S. Buffalo Nickels (1913-1938)

Collecting Buffalo nickels has become a fun and challenging endeavor for coin collectors. The U.S. Buffalo nickel, also known as the Indian Head nickel, replaced the Liberty Head Nickel with a completely new design by U.S. Mint engraver James Earl Fraser. Both sides of the Buffalo nickel commemorated the entwined plight of Native American Indians and the bison, or buffalo, in Early American history. The obverse of this famous coin features a right-facing profile of a mature Native American warrior with his hair in braids, wearing two feathers. The word “LIBERTY” is engraved on the upper-right edge. The reverse side features a left-facing body of a buffalo with the words “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” engraved at the top, and the denomination of “FIVE CENTS” on the bottom. The Buffalo nickel was struck in two types. The original Type 1 design featured the buffalo standing on a raised mount. The revised Type 2 design features the buffalo standing on a horizontal line. The line allowed a more distinct recessed area for the “FIVE CENTS” inscription. According to legend, the model for the Buffalo nickel was a buffalo named Black Diamond that was a popular attraction housed at the Central Park Menagerie (Central Park Zoo) in New York.

What is the value of a Buffalo nickel today? Contact our expert numismatists at 1-800-965-2646.