Little-Known Facts About Buffalo Nickels And How Much They Are Worth
The buffalo nickel is technically known as "the five-cent Indian head" coin.
It's also referred to as the bison nickel or Indian nickel due to the Indian on the front.
The buffalo on the reverse of the coin was supposedly modeled after a bison named Black Diamond that resided in the New York Central Park Zoo.
Did you know? The buffalo head nickel was designed by James E. Fraser who used 3 different native Americans as models.
See how much your buffalo nickels are worth...
It's one of the more eye appealing coins. Unfortunately, the date on the buffalo nickel was placed in a bad spot and was easily worn away when the coins hit circulation. That's why almost everybody who owns circulated a buffalo nickel is going to have a coin with a date that is just barely legible. These aren't worth much money to a collector. The ones that haven't received so much wear on them are commonly worth $2.00-$5.00.
If you have quite a few buffalo nickels in any kind of decent shape, I'd recommend getting yourself a price book (such as the "Red Book") because buffalo nickels jump around a bit in price from coin to coin.
The Value Of Buffalo Nickels
The buffalo head nickel was minted from 1913 to 1938. Here are the values of some of the more noteworthy buffalo nickels:
The first one on the list, the 3-legged buffalo, is one of the more sought after buffalo nickels. On the 3-legged buffalo coins, the stump and hoof remain of the front leg but the leg itself is missing. This was caused by a section of the die that had been completely polished off.
1937 D 3-legged - $500.00-$1000.00
1936 D 3 1/2 legs - $800.00-$5000.00
1935 Double Die Reverse - $40.00-$150.00
1931 S - $15.00-$20.00
1926 S - $18.00-$450.00
1924 S - $15.00-$475.00
1923 S - $7.50-$125.00
1921 S - $70.00-$525.00
1920 D - $8.00-$110.00
1919 S - $8.00-$100.00
1919 D - $12.00-$120.00
1918 D - $18.00-$120.00
1918 D 8over7 - $1000.00-$5500.00
1916 Double Die - $2200.00-$11000.00
1914 D - $80.00-$200.00
1914 4over3 - $350.00-$550.00
1913 S - $300.00-$425.00
1913 D - $100.00-$170.00
NOTE: Listed above are a few coins that have one date over another. These are known as "overdates".
Here's a picture of the 1918 8/7 overdate.
Lulo,
If your 1924 Buffalo nickel has no mintmark ("D" or "S"), then you piece is worth $3-5 in average circulated grades. If your coin has a "D" mintmark, located under the words "FIVE CENTS" on the rear of the coin, it is worth closer to $10-20 in average circulated grades. With an "S" mintmark, the value could be $40-50 in similar grades, higher if lightly worn.
got a 1924 buffalo coin a five cent what is worth
Hi, Joe:
You must have a replica medal, of which there are many portraying all kinds of U.S. coins.
I don't have any idea as to what the value of such a medal is as that is not my area of knowledge, but I can tell you what you have is not an "official" U.S. coin....
i found a buffalo nickel that is 6 to 7 cm in diamiter and i was wondering if it has any value. i did a web search but i did not find any information on nickels that big. it is a 1913 type 1 s version but way bigger than the regular nickel. Any help?
thanks
Tony,
According to the Professional Coin Grading Service's (PCGS) online price guide for Buffalo nickels, a 1937 3-Legged (if slabbed and graded by PCGS) would be worth roughly $1,000-$1,200 in the grade range you are talking about.
Check out the price guide here to see this for yourself: http://www.pcgs.com/prices/PriceGuideDetail.aspx?MS=1&PR=1&c=83&title=Buffalo+Nickel
Good luck!
What is my 1937 D 3-legged buffalo nickel 30 XF worth? My dad needed money; and I recently bought the nickel off of him. I have not been able to find the valuation of any 30 XF 3-legged buffalo nickels out there.
Hi, John,
Unfortunately, whenever coins are cut and altered, their value as numismatic collectibles or investment coins essentially disappears. Your coin would probably best be regarded now as a "novelty" coin or could perhaps be sold as some type of "magician's" coin and may have some type of nominal value in that sense.
I have a two headed buffalo nickel. Someone cut two nickles in half and somehow fused them together. Unless you look along the edge you wouldn't know this was the case. Does this coin have any value. I think the dates are 1934 & 1936.
Hi, I have a 1937 over 1936 full horn great coin
how many were made, and a ball park value?
Joey,
1937 Buffalo nickels with a complete date and complete lettering should be worth around $2-3.
I have a nickle that has a buffalo like the one up top
I can clearly read everything on it as if it is new. The date is 1937.
How much is it worth?
I have a 1936 buffalo head nickel. Its not worn the date is still on there. Is it worth anything...
I will buy them from you if you want to sell them Teresa? www.otcguru@hotmail.com names jeff
Nice find, Bobby! "Dateless" Buffalo nickels are usually worth about 25 to 50 cents each. By the way, Buffalo nickels were made during the years 1913 through 1938, so that "obnoxiously old" nickel is at least 71 years old and counting!
Hi, I have a buffalo nickel that is obnoxiously old-looking. The date is completely worn off. I have no clue when it was made, I found it during construction in my back yard in the mud amidst a bunch of old beer bottles. However, it looks really cool, I was just wondering if you could estimate how much you might think it's worth?
Hi, Jennifer:
I would have that evaluated by a coin professional who can examine the coin in person and actually check it out, but if there is any evidence of four legs, then you have a regular 1937 Buffalo nickel worth around 75 cents to $2 if worn.
I have a 1937 nickel i think class f and i am not sure but it looks like the buffalo leg is worn is it worth anything?
1936 buffalo nickel flipped native head on reverse, anyone have any info on value
Debbie:
Very interesting; I have not heard of such a piece (error or otherwise) being produced by the U.S. Mint.
It may be a "Hobo nickel," which has a market all its own.
I am not well-versed in Hobo nickels, but if that is what you have, you may want to show it to a coin dealer who specializes in novelty coins. Good luck!
I have a 1935 buffalo nickel with the Indian head on both sides. Is this valuable?
I have a 1936-D five cent but the image is fliped on the outher side is it valuable
Taylor,
Very good--the "D" does refer to the mint at which the coin was produced (Denver, in hat case), but a Buffalo nickel without any mint mark would have bene produced at the Philadelphia mint. 1935 Buffalo nickels are very common, and worth between $1-3 if the coin is well worn but the date is still visible and basic details are intact, and up to $10-12 for a lightly circulated coin with almost all details intact.
David,
A 1920 Buffalo nickel is worth between roughly $5 to about $25 in circulated grades. Uncirculated pieces can bring in $60 or more.
Chandra,
Any such coin bearing the word "copy" on it is simply a replica coin---essentially a fake, as it were. While these may be neat to look at, they do not carry any monetary value to coin collectors.
how much of the indian head nickel with the word copy on it is in circulation? (this coin is a little bit smaller than a dime). Also, how did this coin got out?
I found a buffalo indian head nickel and you can see all four legs and it says 1920 which is visible to the eyes. I was wondering just what thats worth? Please let me know any help would be appreciated thankyou.
I have a 1935 buffalo nickel missing its D on it telling which mint it came from. How much could that be worth or is there anything special about it?
I have alot of old coins includibg the buffalo nickel and I want to know how much all of them are worth. My buffalo nickle is in pretty good shape.
Tom - Any coin you find with the word "copy" on it is just a replication. That one is just a scaled down version of the buffalo nickel, they're not worth anything.
Jay
My wife found a coin that looks like a bullalo head nickel but it is the size of a dime and has the word " copy" over the Indians neck. Can you tell us something about it? I tried doing a web search, but can't find anything.
Of course they're worth something. If they're in pretty good shape, which it sounds like they are if you can still read the dates well, then they're worth $2.00-$5.00 each. You will want to check the 1936 and 1937 coin to make sure the buffalo clearly has all 4 legs,if one looks like it's missing a leg it could be worth quite a bit. See article I've written above.
- Jay
AMERICAN FRONTIER NICKEL SET
A FEW YEAR AGO MY FORMER JOB GAVE AWAY THESE SETS I HAVE 6 BUFFALO INDIAN HEAD NICKELS DATED 1929 1936 1937 1935 1937 1938 I HAVE SAVED THEM BUT WAS TOLD THEY ARE NOT WORHT ANYTHING AM I A FOOL FOR HOLDING
ONTO THESE PLEASE LET ME KNOW THANK YOU