In 1913, the US Mint released a coin so striking that collectors still consider it one of the finest designs in American history.

The Buffalo Nickel.

Designed by sculptor James Earle Fraser, it features a composite portrait of three Native American chiefs on the obverse and a bison named Black Diamond on the reverse.

It is bold, it is distinctly American, and it was minted for 25 years until 1938.

Most Buffalo Nickels you come across are worth between $1 and $10 in circulated condition.

But a handful of dates and varieties are worth significantly more, and one famous error turns an ordinary coin into something genuinely extraordinary.

Here is what you need to know.

THE KEY DATES: CHECK THESE FIRST

1916 Doubled Die Obverse
The rarest and most valuable Buffalo Nickel variety. The doubling is clearly visible on the date and LIBERTY.

Only a small number are known. In circulated condition, expect $5,000 to $9,000. In Mint State, far more.

If you find a 1916 Buffalo Nickel, examine it very carefully before setting it aside.

1918/7-D Overdate
A 1917 date was punched over by a 1918 date on a Denver Mint die, leaving traces of the 7 clearly visible beneath the 8. This is a classic overdate variety. In Fine condition, $350 to $500. In Extremely Fine, $1,500 or more.

1921-S
San Francisco struck just 1.55 million Buffalo Nickels in 1921, making this one of the lower-mintage dates of the entire series.

Most examples are well worn, but even a Good grade example is worth $40 to $60. A Fine example, $100 or more.

1926-S
Another low-mintage San Francisco issue with only 970,000 struck. It is the second-scarcest date in the series after the 1913-S Type 2.

In Good condition, $60 to $80. Nicer examples climb quickly.

1937-D Three-Legged Buffalo
The most famous error in the Buffalo Nickel series and one of the best-known errors in all of US coinage.

A mint employee polished a die so aggressively that the buffalo's front right leg was completely removed.

The resulting coins show a buffalo standing on three legs with an unnaturally smooth, polished area beneath the body.

In Good condition, $400 to $600. In Fine, $800 to $1,000. In Extremely Fine, $1,500 to $2,000.

It is a realistic find in old collections and estates, and it rewards anyone who knows what to look for.

How to spot it: Look at the buffalo's legs from the front right. The leg will simply not be there.

The area below the body will appear polished and flat rather than textured. Also look for a weak or missing hoof line on the remaining legs.

Read more: https://www.losttreasurehq.com/1937-buffalo-nickel-value.html

THREE THINGS TO CHECK ON EVERY BUFFALO NICKEL

1. The date. Buffalo Nickels are notorious for weak dates because the date was placed on the highest point of the design and wore away quickly in circulation.

Many coins have fully readable designs but a completely flat, invisible date. A dateless Buffalo is worth around 50 cents to $1 as a novelty.

A readable date changes everything.

2. The mint mark. It is on the reverse, just below the words FIVE CENTS. D is Denver, S is San Francisco, no mark is Philadelphia.

San Francisco issues generally command the strongest premiums across the series.

3. The buffalo's legs. On any 1937-D, count them. Three legs instead of four is worth checking very carefully.

WHAT TO DO WITH WHAT YOU FIND

If you pull a Buffalo Nickel from an old collection and the date is readable, look it up before you do anything else.

The Red Book lists every date and mint mark with grade-by-grade values.

The 2026 edition has just been completely redesigned and covers every Buffalo Nickel date from 1913 to 1938 with full pricing across all grades.

👉 Get the 2026 Red Book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/42fEnBj

If you want to buy a Buffalo Nickel for your collection or see what similar coins are actually selling for, eBay is the place to look.

Search completed sales rather than active listings to see what buyers are genuinely paying.

👉 Search Buffalo Nickels on eBay:https://ebay.us/lWq0bT

The Buffalo Nickel ran for 25 years and hundreds of millions were struck. They turn up regularly in old jars, purses, and inherited collections.

Most are common. Some are not. The difference is in the date, the mint mark, and on one particular coin from Denver in 1937, the number of legs on the buffalo.

Check yours.

William

LostTreasureHQ.com

P.S. A quick tip on dating worn Buffalo Nickels. If the date has worn smooth, hold the coin at a low angle under a strong light and look for ghost impressions in the metal.

Sometimes a date that appears completely gone will reveal itself under raking light. It does not work every time, but it is worth trying before you write a coin off as dateless.

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