Chances are, you’ve seen a Buffalo nickel in your life, even if not in person.
From magazine advertisements to old-time movies, and even in some sayings, like “he holds a nickel so tight, the Indian rides the buffalo,” the Buffalo nickel has gained and maintained fame in a multitude of ways.
The Buffalo nickel, designed by James Earle Fraser, was minted during 1913 and 1938 and due to its span of when it was minted is highly synonymous with World War I, the Roaring ‘20s, and the Great Depression.
Interestingly, the animal on the reverse of the coin isn’t a buffalo but, in fact, an American bison named Black Diamond, who was a resident at the Bronx Zoo.
Also, the Native American depicted on the obverse isn’t a single person but a compilation of features from several, including Iron Tail (a Sioux Indian), Two Moons (a Cheyenne), and Big Tree (a Kiowa).
Value Of Buffalo Nickels
As for Buffalo nickels, most dates are quite common and are worth between $1 and $5.
Millions of Buffalo nickels, in fact, appear dateless due to the “high” placement of the date on the coin; the date easily wore clean off the coin after years of circulation. Dateless Buffalo nickels are worth around 25 to 50 cents.
There’s a lot of information to be gained by looking through a list of historical coin values. Investors wanting information on long-term value trends can gain tremendous insight upon looking at coin values from over the years.
The following Buffalo nickel values are from the 1965, 1985, and 2005 editions of A Guide Book of United States Coins, by R.S. Yeoman.
1913 Variety I $.85 (1965) $3 (1985) $8 (2005)
1913 D Variety I $2.25 (1965) $6 (1985) $12 (2005)
1913 S Variety I $5 (1965) $9 (1985) $35 (2005)
1913 Variety II $1.25 (1965) $3 (1985) $8 (2005)
1913 D Variety II $13 (1965) $40 (1985) $90 (2005)
1913 S Variety II $27.50 (1965) $80 (1985) $250 (2005)
1914 D $13.50 (1965) $27.50 (1985) $70 (2005)
1915 D $3.50 (1965) $6 (1985) $15 (2005)
1915 S $7 (1965) $10 (1985) $30 (2005)
1916 D $2.25 (1965) $4.50 (1985) $10 (2005)
1916 S $2 (1965) $3 (1985) $6 (2005)
1917 D $3 (1965) $4.50 (1985) $15 (2005)
1917 S $3.50 (1965) $3.50 (1985) $20 (2005)
1918/7 D Very Good $175 (1965) $425 (1985) $1000 (2005)
1918 D $3 (1965) $4.50 (1985) $15 (2005)
1918 S $3.75 (1965) $3.50 (1985) $12 (2005)
1919 D $3.50 (1965) $4 (1985) $14 (2005)
1919 S $3.75 (1965) $2.50 (1985) $8 (2005)
1920 D $2.25 (1965) $3 (1985) $7 (2005)
1920 S $2.25 (1965) $1.75 (1985) $4 (2005)
1921 S $9 (1965) $12 (1985) $3 (2005)
1923 S $2.25 (1965) $1.50 (1985) $6 (2005)
1924 D $3 (1965) $2.25 (1985) $7 (2005)
1924 S $6 (1965) $4.50 (1985) $15 (2005)
1925 D $5.50 (1965) $3.50 (1985) $8 (2005)
1925 S $4 (1965) $2.25 (1985) $5 (2005)
1926 D $2.50 (1965) $2 (1985) $6 (2005)
1926 S $4.50 (1965) $5.50 (1985) $18 (2005)
1927 D $1 (1965) $1 (1985) $2.50 (2005)
1927 S $2.25 (1965) $1 (1985) $1.50 (2005)
1931 S $3.50 (1965) $3.50 (1985) $15 (2005)
*Unless otherwise stated, all values are for coins in Good condition.
I’m the Coin Editor here at TheFunTimesGuide. My love for coins began when I was 11 years old. I primarily collect and study U.S. coins produced during the 20th century. I’m a member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) and the Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG) and have won multiple awards from the NLG for my work as a coin journalist. I’m also the editor at the Florida United Numismatists Club (FUN Topics magazine), and author of Images of America: The United States Mint in Philadelphia (a book that explores the colorful history of the Philadelphia Mint). I’ve contributed hundreds of articles for various coin publications including COINage, The Numismatist, Numismatic News, Coin Dealer Newsletter, Coin Values, and CoinWeek. I’ve authored nearly 1,000 articles here at The Fun Times Guide to Coins (many of them with over 50K shares), and I welcome your coin questions in the comments below!
