Five Cents · 1913–1938

Buffalo Nickel

A right-facing portrait of a Native American man with feathers in his hair, with the date on his shoulder. An American bison standing on a mound (1913 Type 1) or on a thin line above a recessed FIVE CENTS (Type 2, mid-1913 onward).

Designer

James Earle Fraser

Diameter

21.21 mm

Edge

Plain

Mint mark

Reverse (back), centered below the words FIVE CENTS

Composition

1913–1938: 75% copper, 25% nickel · 5 g

Did you know? The date sat on a raised spot that wore away fast in pocket change, which is why millions of 'dateless' Buffalo nickels survive — charming, but worth only a small premium without a readable date.

Beginner tip: Read the date and then check under FIVE CENTS for a D or S mint mark — the S coins of the 1920s are where most of the value hides.

Key dates to look for

1913-S Buffalo Nickel

$300+

Type 2 (line under FIVE CENTS) is the scarce one — only 1.2 million

1914-D Buffalo Nickel

$80+ in Good condition

Semi-key Denver issue

1921-S Buffalo Nickel

$50+

Low mintage of 1.5 million

1924-S Buffalo Nickel

$20+

Tough in every grade

1926-S Buffalo Nickel

$20+ worn, thousands in Mint State

Lowest mintage of the series at 970,000

1931-S Buffalo Nickel

$15+

Depression-era low mintage of 1.2 million, widely saved

Valuable varieties & errors

1916 Doubled Die Obverse

extreme

$2,500 – $50,000+

A misaligned hubbing doubled the entire date on this Philadelphia die, creating one of the most valuable doubled dies in American coinage. Only a few hundred examples are believed to exist.

How to check: Look at the date on the shoulder with a loupe. On the real thing the doubling is dramatic — a complete second '1916' shows clearly below the primary date, like a shadow shifted downward. Faint fuzziness is just worthless machine doubling; this variety's doubling is bold and separated.

1918/7-D Overdate

extreme

$900 – $40,000+

During the World War I rush, a die hubbed with a 1917 date was finished with 1918 hubs, leaving a 7 underneath the 8. It went unnoticed for decades, so most survivors are well worn.

How to check: First confirm the D mint mark below FIVE CENTS on the back. Then examine the last digit of the date: on the overdate, the diagonal stroke of a 7 cuts through the middle of the 8 and pokes out above it. The date area must still be readable, which is why worn examples remain valuable.

1935 Doubled Die Reverse

rare

$50 – $2,500+

A doubled hubbing on a reverse die strongly doubled the words FIVE CENTS. It is the most famous doubled die on the back of any Buffalo nickel.

How to check: With a loupe, check the letters of FIVE CENTS below the bison. On this variety each letter shows a clear, separated second outline, strongest on FIVE. Also check E PLURIBUS UNUM above the bison's back for the same shifted doubling.

1937-D Three-Legged Buffalo

rare

$450 – $3,000+

A Denver mint worker polished a clashed reverse die so aggressively that he ground away the bison's front right leg. The result is the most famous Buffalo nickel variety of all, and one of the most counterfeited.

How to check: Confirm the D under FIVE CENTS, then look at the bison's front legs: the front right leg (viewer's right) is missing from knee to hoof, leaving only a floating hoof. Genuine coins also show a raised, moth-eaten looking stream of dots under the bison's belly — coins with a leg simply scratched off lack that detail.

Error types found on this series

Doubled Die (Obverse)

The front design shows a second, shifted image because the die itself was made doubled.

Doubled Die (Reverse)

Same as a doubled die obverse, but the doubling appears on the back of the coin.

Off-Center Strike

The blank wasn't centered when struck, so part of the design is missing and part of the coin is blank.

Clipped Planchet

A bite-shaped piece of the coin is missing because the blank was punched from an already-punched part of the metal strip.

Lamination Error

A thin layer of the coin's metal peels, flakes, or cracks off because the alloy was poorly mixed.

Die Clash

The dies slammed together with no coin between them, imprinting each side's design faintly onto the other.

Grease-Filled Die (Struck Through Grease)

Grease and debris packed into the die's recesses blocked part of the design, leaving weak or missing details.

Real photos where available (credits); others are illustrations.

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