The buffalo on the reverse side of the Buffalo Nickel is a male North American bison. The words “FIVE CENTS” appear under the buffalo. The letters are raised and (like the date on the obverse side) are subject to wear.
What is a mint mark on a Buffalo Nickel?
The United States mint produced Buffalo Nickels at three different facilities in use three different mint marks: Philadelphia (no mint mark), Denver (D) and San Francisco (S). The mint mark on the nickel is located on the reverse of the coin, just below the denomination of “FIVE CENTS.”
How do I know if my buffalo nickel is valuable?
Minted 1913 to 1938; buffalo nickel value is found by determining date | mintmark | condition. A heavily worn coin with a readable date is worth well above face value. A very popular series with collectors, each coin is evaluated closely to identify its full potential.
Who is on the Buffalo Indian Head nickel?
The U.S. Mint believes that the Native American figure depicted on the Buffalo Indian Head nickel is a composite image of Chief Iron Tail of the Lakota Sioux, Chief Two Moons of the Cheyenne and another unnamed American Indian. The coins were designed by James Earle Fraser. The U.S. Mint produced Buffalo Indian Head nickels from 1913 to 1938.
When was the Indian Head nickel minted?
Buffalo or Indian Head Nickel minted from 1913 until 1938. Indian Head or Buffalo Nickels (1913-1938) can be simple and affordable to collect for the intermediate coin collector, or challenging enough for the advanced coin collector.
Where is the mint mark on a buffalo nickel?
D, S. Centered under “FIVE CENTS” on the reverse. Philadelphia Mint specimens lack mint mark. The Buffalo nickel or Indian Head nickel is a copper-nickel five-cent piece that was struck by the United States Mint from 1913 to 1938. It was designed by sculptor James Earle Fraser .
Why did they change the denomination on the nickel?
This design flaw caused the denomination to prematurely wear off of the nickel. Approximately halfway through 1913, the design was changed to recess the denomination below the rim of the coin. Indian Head or Buffalo nickels have been fairly stable over the last few years.
