1913-D Type 1

Denver's 1913 Type 1 Buffalo nickel mintage was 5,337,000 coins, a modest figure compared to Philadelphia's 31 million but substantial for a branch mint introducing a new design. Denver had been striking Liberty Head nickels since 1912 (the 1912-D was the first branch-mint nickel), so the transition to the Buffalo design in 1913 was routine for the facility. The Type 1 reverse with the raised-mound FIVE CENTS was used for the first half of 1913 production before the mid-year redesign.

The coin is less common than the Philadelphia Type 1 but available in all circulated grades. Mint State examples are scarcer and command premiums, particularly in Gem condition where the strike characteristics of early Buffalo nickels make high-grade preservation more challenging. Denver strikes of the Type 1 often show slightly softer obverse detail than Philadelphia examples, a pattern for branch mint production in the series' early years.

Identification requires verifying the D mintmark on the reverse, below the raised mound of the Type 1 reverse. The mintmark is small and can be difficult to see on worn coins, though it is distinct on fresh strikes and readily visible under magnification. Collectors building complete Buffalo nickel sets need both Type 1 and Type 2 representations from each of the three 1913 mints, making the 1913-D Type 1 one of six required 1913 entries.