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Buffalo Nickels

James Earle Fraser designed the Buffalo nickel, and it was a deliberate rejection of everything Charles Barber stood for. Fraser was a sculptor, trained at the Art Institute of Chicago and the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and he had studied under Augustus Saint-Gaudens, who had spent his last years trying to drag American coin design out of the Victorian rut Barber had settled into. Fraser shared his mentor's conviction that coins should be art, not just functional metal discs, and when Mint Director George Roberts invited him to redesign the nickel in 1911, Fraser produced something that looked nothing like the staid Liberty Head it would replace. The obverse carried a composite portrait of a Native American man, and Fraser claimed to have used three models: Iron Tail (a Lakota Sioux), Two Moons (a Cheyenne), and John Big Tree (a Seneca). Whether all three actually sat for him, or whether Fraser constructed the story after the fact, has been questioned. Two Moons and Iron Tail were well-known figures who appeared at public events and expositions, and Big Tree disputed his involvement at various points over the years. The reverse depicted an American bison standing on a mound of earth, reportedly modeled on Black Diamond, a popular resident of the New York Central Park Zoo, though that attribution is also contested. Fraser knew what he wanted the coin to feel like, and the sourcing details mattered less to him than the result.

Read more about Buffalo Nickels →
1913–1938 Years struck
81 Date / variety entries
Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco Mints

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Key date Semi-key Variety Proof NIFC Regular
Date Variety Mintage Price Guide Estimates Classification CK #
G VG F VF EF AU MS
1913 Type 1 30,993,520 $11$13$14$17$20$28$36 REGULAR CK-1255
1913 Type 2 29,858,700 ——————— REGULAR CK-1258
1913-D Type 1 5,337,000 $17$17$20$28$33$53$60 REGULAR CK-1259
1913-D Type 2 4,156,000 ——————— REGULAR CK-1260
1913-S Type 1 2,105,000 $40$45$57$65$73$86$105 REGULAR CK-1261
1913-S Type 2 1,209,000 ——————— SEMI-KEY CK-1262
1914 — 20,665,738 $17$17$20$25$30$36$48 REGULAR CK-1264
1914 4 Over 3 Overdate — $205$245$360$415$560$810$1,800 VARIETY CK-1265
1914-D — 3,912,000 $85$100$126$172$265$285$380 SEMI-KEY CK-1266
1914-S — 3,470,000 $25$33$40$53$73$135$183 SEMI-KEY CK-1267
1915 — 20,987,270 $5.50$6.50$8.00$13$20$36$48 REGULAR CK-1269
1915-D — 7,569,500 $22$23$40$67$106$126$225 REGULAR CK-1270
1915-S — 1,505,000 $37$65$80$162$325$435$605 SEMI-KEY CK-1271
1916 — 63,498,066 $5.00$5.50$6.50$8.00$13$20$40 REGULAR CK-1273
1916 Doubled Die Obverse — $3,655$4,765$6,895$9,675$14,900$24,220$48,760 VARIETY CK-1274
1916-D — 13,333,000 $20$28$33$40$73$96$141 REGULAR CK-1275
1916-S — 11,860,000 $11$15$25$40$73$116$183 REGULAR CK-1276
1917 — 51,424,029 $6.50$7.00$8.00$10$13$28$48 REGULAR CK-1277
1917-D — 9,910,800 $17$28$45$73$121$225$360 REGULAR CK-1278
1917-S — 4,193,000 $25$40$67$96$162$265$690 REGULAR CK-1279
1918 — 32,086,314 $4.50$5.50$6.50$13$28$40$100 REGULAR CK-1280
1918-D — 8,362,000 $25$33$57$106$205$285$470 REGULAR CK-1281
1918-D 8 Over 7 8,362,000 $650$990$1,800$2,760$6,895$8,940$27,855 KEY CK-1282
1918-S — 4,882,000 $17$28$53$86$183$265$650 REGULAR CK-1283
1919 — 60,868,000 $2.00$2.50$3.00$6.50$13$28$45 REGULAR CK-1284
1919-D — 8,006,000 $17$33$67$106$215$360$650 SEMI-KEY CK-1285
1919-S — 7,521,000 $10$25$45$100$210$305$560 SEMI-KEY CK-1286
1920 — 63,093,000 $1.50$2.00$2.50$5.50$13$25$53 REGULAR CK-1287
1920-D — 9,418,000 $10$17$36$96$225$285$560 REGULAR CK-1288
1920-S — 9,689,000 $8.00$13$28$80$162$265$560 REGULAR CK-1289
1921 — 10,663,000 $3.00$4.50$6.50$20$40$60$121 REGULAR CK-1290
1921-S — 1,557,000 $60$94$126$305$770$990$1,410 SEMI-KEY CK-1291
1923 — 35,715,000 $2.00$2.50$3.00$4.50$14$28$53 REGULAR CK-1292
1923-S — 6,142,000 $10$13$25$106$205$325$515 SEMI-KEY CK-1293
1924 — 21,620,000 $1.00$1.50$4.00$6.50$20$40$60 REGULAR CK-1294
1924-D — 5,258,000 $8.00$13$28$67$188$285$400 SEMI-KEY CK-1295
1924-S — 1,437,000 $20$40$86$305$690$1,350$2,230 SEMI-KEY CK-1296
1925 — 35,565,100 $2.50$3.00$3.50$6.50$17$28$36 REGULAR CK-1297
1925-D — 4,450,000 $13$20$33$65$141$285$400 REGULAR CK-1298
1925-S — 6,256,000 $4.00$10$20$65$146$225$535 REGULAR CK-1299
1926 — 44,693,000 $1.00$1.50$2.00$4.00$8.00$20$28 REGULAR CK-1300
1926-D — 5,638,000 $13$17$33$73$146$265$325 SEMI-KEY CK-1301
1926-S — 970,000 $25$40$80$183$650$2,005$3,655 KEY CK-1302
1927 — 37,981,000 $1.00$1.50$2.00$4.00$14$20$28 REGULAR CK-1303
1927-D — 5,730,000 $2.50$6.50$10$33$67$106$135 REGULAR CK-1305
1927-S — 3,430,000 $1.50$2.50$4.00$33$80$183$735 REGULAR CK-1306
1928 — 23,411,000 $1.00$1.50$2.00$4.00$13$20$28 REGULAR CK-1307
1928-D — 6,436,000 $1.00$2.00$4.00$13$36$45$53 REGULAR CK-1308
1928-S — 6,936,000 $1.50$2.00$2.50$9.00$21$86$265 REGULAR CK-1309
1929 — 36,446,000 $1.00$1.50$2.00$4.00$13$20$33 REGULAR CK-1310
1929-D — 8,370,000 $1.00$1.50$2.00$5.50$28$40$53 REGULAR CK-1311
1929-S — 7,754,000 $1.00$1.50$2.00$3.00$10$20$45 REGULAR CK-1312
1930 — 22,849,000 $1.00$1.50$2.00$3.00$9.00$20$28 REGULAR CK-1313
1930-S — 5,435,000 $1.00$1.50$2.00$3.00$13$28$53 REGULAR CK-1314
1931-S — 1,200,000 $14$15$17$22$33$45$60 SEMI-KEY CK-1315
1934 — 20,213,003 $1.00$1.50$2.00$3.00$8.00$15$40 REGULAR CK-1316
1934-D — 7,480,000 $1.00$2.00$3.00$7.00$20$36$65 REGULAR CK-1317
1935 — 58,264,000 $0.80$1.00$1.50$2.00$4.00$8.00$17 REGULAR CK-1318
1935 Doubled Die Reverse — $45$48$80$106$360$990$3,215 VARIETY CK-1319
1935-D — 12,092,000 $1.00$1.50$2.00$4.50$17$40$60 REGULAR CK-1320
1935-S — 10,300,000 $1.00$1.50$2.00$2.50$3.00$17$45 REGULAR CK-1321
1936 — 119,001,420 $1.00$1.50$1.50$2.00$2.50$7.00$20 REGULAR CK-1322
1936-D — 24,814,000 $1.00$1.50$1.50$2.00$3.00$10$33 REGULAR CK-1325
1936-D 3-1/2 Legs — ——————— VARIETY CK-1326
1936-S — 14,930,000 $1.00$1.50$1.50$2.00$3.00$10$30 REGULAR CK-1327
1937 — 79,485,769 $1.00$1.50$1.50$2.00$2.50$7.00$20 REGULAR CK-1329
1937-D — 17,826,000 $1.00$1.50$1.50$2.50$3.00$8.00$28 REGULAR CK-1330
1937-D 3 Legs 17,826,000 $365$400$435$470$580$735$1,470 KEY CK-1331
1937-S — 5,635,000 $1.00$1.50$1.50$2.50$4.50$7.00$25 REGULAR CK-1332
1938-D Buffalo 7,020,000 $3.00$3.50$4.00$4.50$4.00$6.50$17 REGULAR CK-1336
1938-D D/D Buffalo — ——————— VARIETY CK-1337
1938-D D/S Buffalo — ——————— VARIETY CK-1338
1913 Type 1 1913 Type 2 1913-D Type 1 1913-D Type 2 1913-S Type 1 1913-S Type 2 1914 1914 4 Over 3 Overdate 1914-D 1914-S 1915 1915-D 1915-S 1916 1916 Doubled Die Obverse 1916-D 1916-S 1917 1917-D 1917-S 1918 1918-D 1918-D 8 Over 7 1918-S 1919 1919-D 1919-S 1920 1920-D 1920-S 1921 1921-S 1923 1923-S 1924 1924-D 1924-S 1925 1925-D 1925-S 1926 1926-D 1926-S 1927 1927-D 1927-S 1928 1928-D 1928-S 1929 1929-D 1929-S 1930 1930-S 1931-S 1934 1934-D 1935 1935 Doubled Die Reverse 1935-D 1935-S 1936 1936-D 1936-D 3-1/2 Legs 1936-S 1937 1937-D 1937-D 3 Legs 1937-S 1938-D Buffalo 1938-D D/D Buffalo 1938-D D/S Buffalo
Date Variety Mintage Price Guide Estimates Classification CK #
G (PR) VG (PR) F (PR) VF (PR) EF (PR) AU (PR) MS (PR)
1913 Type 1 30,993,520 ——————— KEY CK-1256
1913 Type 2 29,858,700 ——————— KEY CK-1257
1914 — 1,275 ——————— KEY CK-1263
1915 — 1,050 ——————— KEY CK-1268
1916 — 600 ——————— KEY CK-1272
1936 Brilliant 4,420 ——————— KEY CK-1323
1936 Satin 4,420 ——————— KEY CK-1324
1937 — 5,769 ——————— KEY CK-1328
1913 Type 1 1913 Type 2 1914 1915 1916 1936 Brilliant 1936 Satin 1937
Date Variety Mintage Price Guide Estimates Classification CK #
G VG F VF EF AU MS
1927 Special Strike — ——————— KEY CK-1304
1927 Special Strike