Values
A Buffalo nickel’s market depends on the date, the mint mark, Type 1 versus Type 2, the grade, and whether the date is still on the mound. This page is a series reference, not a price list.
The G, VF, and MS-63 columns sit in the mintage chart below. Those figures are from the NGC US Coin Price Guide, retrieved 2026-08-21. They are a published guide, not an offer and not melt. A blank cell means that grade was not printed in this pass. 1913 is split the way NGC printed it — Type 1 and Type 2 — because the pamphlet does not. 1938-P and 1938-S stay blank; NGC priced only 1938-D Buffalo.
A dealer looking at the coin in hand will beat a guide number. If you are trying to sell a pile of them, start with how to sell a coin collection and the Ohio coin dealer directory.
Key Dates
These are the dates collectors ask about first. This is a name list, not a price list and not a mintage table. PCGS CoinFacts names them. Do not call every 1918-D a key. The overdate is the key.
- 1913-S Type 2
- 1918/7-D
- 1926-S
Key date names: PCGS CoinFacts. This is a name list, not a price list.
Key dates are bolded on the mintage chart.
1913-S Type 2 is not the same conversation as 1913-S Type 1. A worn common date is still worn.
Errors
These are named varieties. They are not extra pamphlet rows. The 1974 Mint table does not split them out, and this page will not invent a count.
1918/7-D overdate. Denver put a 1918 date over a 1917. PCGS CoinFacts and NGC both name it. It already has a G / VF / MS-63 row in the chart below. It is the key. A regular 1918-D is not.
1937-D Three-Legged. PCGS CoinFacts and NGC both name it. CoinFacts lists it as 1937-D 5C 3 Legs. The bison’s front right leg was polished off the die. The G / VF / MS-63 cells sit on that variety row under 1937-D in the chart below. The 1937-D mintage cell is the whole Denver year. The pamphlet does not split the three-legged coin, so that variety mintage stays an em dash.
1916 Doubled Die Obverse. PCGS CoinFacts names it 1916 5C Doubled Die Obverse. The doubling is on the date and the portrait. The G / VF / MS-63 cells sit on that variety row under 1916-P in the chart below. The pamphlet does not split it from the Philadelphia year, so that mintage cell is an em dash.
A dateless Buffalo is wear. The date sat on the mound and rubbed off. That is not an error.
Type 1 versus Type 2 is a 1913 design change. The mound was recut. That is not an error.
Compare the coin in hand to PCGS Photograde and the PCGS CoinFacts Buffalo page. We do not host their plates.
Varieties
Type 1 and Type 2 are a 1913 design change. The other names are die varieties PCGS and NGC already print. A dateless coin is wear, not a variety.
- 1913 Type 1The bison stands on a raised mound. Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco all exist. The pamphlet count does not split the type.
- 1913 Type 2The mound was recut so the line under the bison is straighter. 1913-S Type 2 is not the same conversation as 1913-S Type 1.
- 1916 Doubled Die ObverseThe doubling is on the date and the portrait. PCGS CoinFacts names it. The pamphlet does not split it from the Philadelphia year.
- 1918/7-DDenver put a 1918 date over a 1917. PCGS and NGC both name it. A regular 1918-D is not the overdate.
- 1937-D Three-LeggedThe bison’s front right leg was polished off the die. PCGS CoinFacts lists it as 1937-D 5C 3 Legs. The Denver year is not all three-legged.
- 1938-D/SA D punched over an S. Guides list it under the last Denver Buffalo. It is a mint-mark variety, not a new type.
Names follow PCGS CoinFacts and NGC, the same publishers this site already cites. This is a name list, not a price list and not a count.
Mintage
Buffalo nickels were struck at Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco during the 1913–1938 run. Not every mint struck every year. Philadelphia coins have no mint mark. The counts below are the pamphlet 5-cent cells in this repository.
| Year | Mint | Mintage | NGC ID | G | VF | MS-63 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | P | 60,852,239 1913 5 cents include Liberty Head + Buffalo Type 1 + Type 2 (not split in the pamphlet). | — | — | — | — |
| 1913 | P Type 1 | — Pamphlet does not split this variety from the mintage above. | 13915 | $10 | $20 | $65 |
| 1913 | P Type 2 | — Pamphlet does not split this variety from the mintage above. | 13921 | $10 | $20 | $65 |
| 1913 | D | 9,493,000 1913 5 cents include Liberty Head + Buffalo Type 1 + Type 2 (not split in the pamphlet). | — | — | — | — |
| 1913 | D Type 1 | — Pamphlet does not split this variety from the mintage above. | 13916 | $17.50 | $30 | $95 |
| 1913 | D Type 2 | — Pamphlet does not split this variety from the mintage above. | 13922 | $115 | $190 | $385 |
| 1913 | S | 3,314,000 1913 5 cents include Liberty Head + Buffalo Type 1 + Type 2 (not split in the pamphlet). | — | — | — | — |
| 1913 | S Type 1 | — Pamphlet does not split this variety from the mintage above. | 13917 | $45 | $75 | $220 |
| 1913 | S Type 2 | — Pamphlet does not split this variety from the mintage above. | 13923 | $275 | $425 | $1,250 |
| 1914 | P | 20,665,738 | 13924 | $17.50 | $28 | $100 |
| 1914 | D | 3,912,000 | 13925 | $100 | $225 | $550 |
| 1914 | S | 3,470,000 | 13926 | $30 | $85 | $365 |
| 1915 | P | 20,987,270 | 13927 | $5 | $15 | $100 |
| 1915 | D | 7,569,500 | 13928 | $25 | $85 | $350 |
| 1915 | S | 1,505,000 | 13929 | $50 | $245 | $1,350 |
| 1916 | P | 63,498,066 | 13930 | $4.75 | $15 | $125 |
| 1916 | P Doubled Die Obverse | — Pamphlet does not split this variety from the mintage above. | 816043 | $5,000 | $13,500 | $135,000 |
| 1916 | D | 13,333,000 | 13932 | $20 | $60 | $260 |
| 1916 | S | 11,860,000 | 13933 | $12.50 | $75 | $375 |
| 1917 | P | 51,424,029 | 13934 | $5 | $10 | $165 |
| 1917 | D | 9,910,800 | 13935 | $20 | $115 | $675 |
| 1917 | S | 4,193,000 | 13936 | $32.50 | $140 | $1,700 |
| 1918 | P | 32,086,314 | 13937 | $7.50 | $25 | $350 |
| 1918 | D | 8,362,000 | 13938 | $30 | $150 | $950 |
| 1918 | D 1918/7-D | — Pamphlet does not split this variety from the mintage above. | 816057 | $925 | $4,150 | $48,500 |
| 1918 | S | 4,882,000 | 13940 | $20 | $150 | $2,350 |
| 1919 | P | 60,868,000 | 13941 | $2.50 | $12.50 | $190 |
| 1919 | D | 8,006,000 | 13942 | $25 | $170 | $1,450 |
| 1919 | S | 7,521,000 | 13943 | $12.50 | $140 | $1,700 |
| 1920 | P | 63,093,000 | 13944 | $2 | $12.50 | $175 |
| 1920 | D | 9,418,000 | 13945 | $15 | $145 | $1,300 |
| 1920 | S | 9,689,000 | 13946 | $7.50 | $135 | $1,350 |
| 1921 | P | 10,663,000 | 13947 | $5 | $37.50 | $320 |
| 1921 | S | 1,557,000 | 13948 | $80 | $450 | $3,100 |
| 1923 | P | 35,715,000 | 13949 | $3 | $10 | $180 |
| 1923 | S | 6,142,000 | 13950 | $10 | $135 | $1,000 |
| 1924 | P | 21,620,000 | 13951 | $3 | $15 | $225 |
| 1924 | D | 5,258,000 | 13952 | $12.50 | $125 | $1,250 |
| 1924 | S | 1,437,000 | 13953 | $30 | $450 | $4,500 |
| 1925 | P | 35,565,100 | 13954 | $3 | $15 | $125 |
| 1925 | D | 4,450,000 | 13955 | $20 | $135 | $900 |
| 1925 | S | 6,256,000 | 13956 | $7.50 | $100 | $1,375 |
| 1926 | P | 44,693,000 | 13957 | $1.25 | $10 | $90 |
| 1926 | D | 5,638,000 | 13958 | $15 | $110 | $560 |
| 1926 | S | 970,000 | 13959 | $30 | $375 | $10,000 |
| 1927 | P | 37,981,000 | 13960 | $2 | $10 | $85 |
| 1927 | D | 5,730,000 | 13961 | $3.50 | $50 | $420 |
| 1927 | S | 3,430,000 | 13962 | $3 | $70 | $2,400 |
| 1928 | P | 23,411,000 | 13963 | $2 | $7.50 | $85 |
| 1928 | D | 6,436,000 | 13964 | $2.50 | $30 | $130 |
| 1928 | S | 6,936,000 | 13965 | $2.50 | $25 | $625 |
| 1929 | P | 36,446,000 | 13966 | $2 | $7.50 | $90 |
| 1929 | D | 8,370,000 | 13967 | $2.50 | $15 | $175 |
| 1929 | S | 7,754,000 | 13968 | $2 | $10 | $125 |
| 1930 | P | 22,849,000 | 13969 | $2 | $10 | $90 |
| 1930 | S | 5,435,000 | 13970 | $2 | $10 | $150 |
| 1931 | S | 1,200,000 | 13971 | $17.50 | $30 | $130 |
| 1934 | P | 20,213,003 | 13972 | $2 | $7.50 | $60 |
| 1934 | D | 7,480,000 | 13973 | $2 | $17.50 | $120 |
| 1935 | P | 58,264,000 | 13974 | $1.25 | $4 | $45 |
| 1935 | D | 12,092,000 | 13975 | $1.25 | $10 | $85 |
| 1935 | S | 10,300,000 | 13976 | $1.25 | $4 | $70 |
| 1936 | P | 119,001,420 | 13977 | $1.25 | $4 | $50 |
| 1936 | D | 24,814,000 1936-D pieces confirmed from the pamphlet face 1240700 dollars. | 13978 | $1.25 | $4 | $45 |
| 1936 | S | 14,930,000 | 13979 | $1.25 | $4 | $47 |
| 1937 | P | 79,485,769 | 13980 | $1.25 | $4 | $35 |
| 1937 | D | 17,826,000 | 13981 | $1.25 | $4 | $35 |
| 1937 | D 3 Legs | — Pamphlet does not split this variety from the mintage above. | 816092 | $475 | $700 | $4,750 |
| 1937 | S | 5,635,000 | 13983 | $1.25 | $4 | $35 |
| 1938 | P | 19,515,365 1938 5 cents include Buffalo + Jefferson (not split). NGC priced only 1938-D Buffalo. | — | — | — | — |
| 1938 | D | 12,396,000 1938 5 cents include Buffalo + Jefferson (not split). NGC priced only 1938-D Buffalo. | 13984 | $2.50 | $4 | $35 |
| 1938 | S | 4,105,000 1938 5 cents include Buffalo + Jefferson (not split). NGC priced only 1938-D Buffalo. | — | — | — | — |
Mintage: United States, Bureau of the Mint, Domestic and Foreign Coins Manufactured by Mints of the United States, 1792-1965 (Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1974). Publisher: FRASER / GPO pamphlet.
Collector-standard year/mint presentation follows A Guide Book of United States Coins (the Red Book). These cells are Mint manufacture figures, not a Red Book net or melt.
Values: NGC US Coin Price Guide, retrieved 2026-08-21. Guide values, not offers. Not melt. NGC IDs link to the same publisher’s price-guide listing.
Key date names: PCGS CoinFacts (2026-08-21). Bold rows are only dates that publisher named.
NGC ID: NGC Coin Explorer listing number, retrieved 2026-08-21. A dash means this pass did not record an ID. 1913 Type 1 / Type 2, 1918/7-D, 1916 Doubled Die Obverse, and 1937-D 3 Legs have IDs. 1913 parent rows stay a dash.
These pamphlet cells are 5-cent manufacture, not Buffalo only.
No 1922, 1932, or 1933 Buffalo rows. No 1921-D, 1930-D, 1931-P, 1931-D, or 1934-S.
1938-P and 1938-S value cells are an em dash. Do not read those pamphlet counts as Jefferson prices.
These are Bureau of the Mint manufacture figures from the 1974 GPO pamphlet in this repository, not a Red Book net or melt. The grade columns in the same box are NGC guide values from 2026-08-21, not an offer. The pamphlet 5-cent cells are manufacture, not Buffalo only. 1913 is Liberty Head plus Buffalo Type 1 plus Type 2, not split. 1938 is Buffalo plus Jefferson, not split. 1938-D is the last Buffalo NGC priced in this pass.
Read the date if it is still there. Read the mint mark. Compare Type 1 and Type 2 on 1913 before you argue about a number.
Specifications
These are mint specs, not what a dealer pays. Wear can take a little weight off. We will not invent a tolerance.
A Buffalo nickel is the same cupronickel 5-cent standard as later nickels. Type 1 versus Type 2 is a 1913 design change. The mound was recut. That is not a spec change. Wartime silver nickels are Jefferson, 1942–1945, not this series.
| Specification | Figure |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 21.21 mm (0.835 in) |
| Thickness | 1.95 mm |
| Weight | 5.000 g |
| Composition | 75% copper, 25% nickel |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | James Earle Fraser |
Diameter, thickness, and weight are the U.S. Mint circulating five-cent figures (21.21 mm / 1.95 mm / 5.000 g). 31 U.S.C. § 5112 names the 5-cent coin as 75 percent copper and 25 percent nickel. Buffalo nickels used that cupronickel standard. Wartime silver nickels are Jefferson, 1942–1945, not this series.
Grading
A Buffalo wears first on the bison’s hip, the hair on the Indian’s braid and cheek, and the horn. Full horn is the circulated-grade conversation people actually have at a counter.
The date sits on a mound and wears off. A dateless Buffalo is a real thing — the date was on a high point, not a mystery. Type 1 1913 is the bison on a raised mound. Type 2 recut the mound so the line under the bison is straighter. Horn, date, and Type 1 versus Type 2 are the points.
Key Diagnostic Areas
| Area | What to examine | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Bison’s hip | The high point on the animal’s hip, where the hide is highest. | That hip goes slick first. If it is a blank patch, the reverse has been in a pocket. |
| Hair on the braid and cheek | The braid behind the ear and the hair on the cheek of the Indian. | Those strands flatten while the rest of the portrait can still look busy. |
| Horn | How much of the bison’s horn is still there — tip to base. | Full horn is the circulated-grade talk. A stub horn is wear, not a variety. |
| Date on the mound | The numerals on the mound under the bison, and whether they are still there. | The date sits on a high point and wears off. A dateless Buffalo is worn, not a different coin. |
Circulated & Mint State
These cards describe this coin, not a second copy of the P-1 through MS-70 chart. The shared numbers live on the glossary.
See graded photos. The photos that show what VF looks like live at PCGS. We do not host their plates. Compare the coin in hand to PCGS Photograde. PCGS CoinFacts is the catalog page for this series. Guide values on this page came from the NGC Price Guide.
What each named grade looks like on this design.
Poor
Poor
A nickel disk you can still call a Buffalo if you already know the type.
- The bison’s hip is gone. The horn is not a conversation.
- Hair on the braid and cheek is a blank. The date is usually gone.
- Do not scrape the mound to force a date. That is damage, not a grade.
AG
About Good
You might read a digit. The high points are already slick.
- The bison’s hip is worn smooth. The horn is a shadow if it is there at all.
- Braid and cheek hair are gone.
- If you cannot read the date without hoping, stay here. Dateless is real.
Good
Good
The date is readable, or just barely. The design is still mostly an outline.
- The bison is an outline. The hip has no hide left.
- The horn is incomplete. Braid and cheek are flat.
- A readable date does not make the horn full.
VG
Very Good
The date is clear. A little life returns in the hair and the hide.
- Some hair comes back in the braid. The cheek is still tired.
- The bison’s hip is worn. A stub of horn may show.
- Type 1 versus Type 2 is already worth a look if the mound line is still there.
Fine
Fine
You can follow the portrait and the bison. The high points are outlined, not sharp.
- Hair on the braid is outlined. The cheek is not crisp.
- The hip shows leftover hide. The horn is still incomplete.
- The date is clear. Do not clean it to “see it better.”
VF
Very Fine
The bison is doing real work. Horn and hip still decide.
- Leftover strands in the braid and on the cheek.
- More of the horn is there. Full horn is still the argument, not a slogan.
- The hip keeps leftover hide. A 1918-D regular date is still this grade if it is this worn.
EF
Extremely Fine
Most of the nickel looks sharp. The hip, the horn, and the cheek tell on it.
- Light wear on the bison’s hip, the horn, and the hair on the braid and cheek.
- The date is sharp. The mound line — Type 1 raised, Type 2 straighter — should still read.
- The rest of the coin can look better than the grade. Trust the high points.
AU
About Uncirculated
Almost no wear — and “almost” lives on the hip, the horn, and the cheek.
- A trace of rub on the bison’s hip, the horn, and the hair on the braid and cheek.
- The date should be full. Luster may still sit in the protected spots.
- A bright nickel with a slick hip is still a slick hip.
Basal MS
Mint State
No wear. The fight is marks and luster, not how white the nickel looks.
- No rub on the hip, the horn, the braid, the cheek, or the date.
- Marks and luster decide how this mint-state coin lives.
- Cameo is not a business-strike conversation on this series.
Choice
Choice Mint State
Still no wear. Cleaner fields than basal mint state.
- Same no-wear rule on the hip, the horn, and the date.
- Fewer marks in the fields. Luster is more intact.
- Type 1 versus Type 2 is still a design split, not a grade.
Gem
Gem Mint State
A clean hip, horn, and fields for a Buffalo. Still mint state, still not a story.
- No wear on the bison’s hip or the horn.
- Marks and luster, not a romance about a dateless coin you found in a jar.
- A slab is an opinion in plastic. The glossary has the numbers.
Proof Buffalo nickels exist for part of the run. They were made as proofs. Cameo contrast is not the usual Morgan-style call on this series, and this page does not invent a PR price grid — NGC did not print one in the 2026-08-21 sheet used here. The proof numbers live on the glossary.
Copper color designations (BN, RB, RD) do not apply here. Those belong on copper coins such as the Lincoln Wheat cent. See the Lincoln Wheat cent and the glossary.
Overview
A Buffalo nickel is a United States 5-cent coin with a Native American head on the front and an American bison on the back. Collectors mean the coins struck from 1913 through 1938. People also call it the Indian Head nickel. Both names point at the same Fraser design.
People like them because the type still reads across a table, the date-and-mint combinations give you something to chase, and the worn ones show up in jars. They are also easy to ruin. The date sits on a mound. A wiped coin looks “better” to a seller and worse to everyone else.
This page is a series article, not a shop listing.
History
The series starts in 1913 with James Earle Fraser’s design. It replaces the Liberty Head nickel. The first year has two reverse treatments: the bison on a raised mound (Type 1), then a recut mound so the line under the bison is straighter (Type 2). That split is a design change in one year, not a later restrike.
From there the run is ordinary American pocket change with gaps. There is no 1922, 1932, or 1933 Buffalo in the pamphlet table this page uses. In 1938 the Mint introduces the Jefferson nickel. 1938-D is the last Buffalo this page can put a guide number on. 1938-P and 1938-S pamphlet 5-cent counts mix Buffalo with Jefferson, so this page will not pretend to split them.
This page will not invent a shop list or a melt story to fill the years between.
Design
Obverse: a Native American facing right, “LIBERTY,” the date on the mound below, and the mint mark under the date when the coin is not from Philadelphia. Reverse: a bison standing on a mound, “FIVE CENTS,” “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” and “E PLURIBUS UNUM.”
Type 1 1913 keeps the bison on a raised mound. Type 2 recuts that mound so the line under the animal is straighter. Look at that line before you argue Type.
Look at the bison’s hip, the hair on the braid and cheek, and the horn. Those spots go flat first. The date wears off because it sits on the mound. A dateless Buffalo is a worn Buffalo.
Proof Buffalos exist for part of the run. They were made as proofs, not as circulation strikes that someone shined later.
People Also Ask
What years are Buffalo nickels?
Circulation Buffalo nickels were struck from 1913 through 1938. There is no 1922, 1932, or 1933 Buffalo in the pamphlet table this page uses.
How much is a Buffalo nickel worth?
It depends on the date, the mint mark, the type, and the grade. The G, VF, and MS-63 columns in the mintage chart are NGC guide values from 2026-08-21, not an offer. A dealer looking at the actual coin will beat a guide number.
What is Type 1 versus Type 2?
Type 1 1913 has the bison on a raised mound. Type 2 recut that mound so the line under the bison is straighter. The pamphlet 1913 5-cent counts do not split Liberty Head from Buffalo, or Type 1 from Type 2.
Why is the date worn off?
The date sits on the mound, which is a high point. It wears off. A dateless Buffalo is wear, not an error.
Is 1938-D the last Buffalo nickel?
1938-D is the last Buffalo this page can price. 1938-P and 1938-S pamphlet 5-cent counts mix Buffalo with the new Jefferson nickel, so those value cells stay blank.
Collector Considerations
Buy the coin, not the story. A common late date in a high grade can cost more than a better date that has already lost its horn. That is normal.
If you inherited a jar, do not scrub the mound to “see the date better.” Keep them in the holders they arrived in, or in cheap cardboard flips, and take the box to a person who sees Buffalos every week. The coin dealer directory starts in Ohio. This site does not invent shop names to fill a paragraph.
Raw coins are fine. So are slabs. What is not fine is a coin that has been cleaned until the fields look like glass, then offered as “original.” Say what happened if you know. A dealer will see it anyway.
If you collect by type, one honest Type 1 and one Type 2 will teach you more than a spreadsheet. If you collect by mint mark, give yourself time. 1913-S Type 2, 1918/7-D, and 1926-S are the names on the key list. The rest is homework.
For a silver series with bag marks instead of a worn-off date, read the Morgan dollar page. For copper color instead of a horn, read the Lincoln Wheat cent. For the wartime silver Jefferson alloy, read the War nickel.
A Final Word
Buffalo nickels reward people who slow down. Read the date if it is still there. Read the mint mark. Look at the horn. Leave the polish under the sink.
When you want another series on this site, the Morgan dollar, the Lincoln Wheat cent, the Mercury dime, the Liberty Head nickel, and the War nickel are already here.