1913-S Type 2

1,209,000 coins. San Francisco's Type 2 output in 1913 is the lowest single-year regular-issue Buffalo nickel mintage in the entire series, and the 1913-S Type 2 is accordingly one of the first major targets for Buffalo nickel specialists. San Francisco struck the coin in limited quantity during the second half of 1913 after the reverse modification, and the coin entered circulation in a region where collectors were relatively few and the new design was accepted as routine commercial coinage. Most examples circulated heavily and wore down quickly, leaving modern survivors concentrated in lower grades.

PCGS population data suggests that fewer than 50,000 examples survive across all grades, making the 1913-S Type 2 one of the scarcer twentieth-century Buffalo nickels. Mint State pieces are genuinely difficult to find, and Gem-quality examples (MS65 and above) command four- to five-figure prices at auction. Specialists building high-grade sets often treat the 1913-S Type 2 as a centerpiece acquisition, comparable in significance to the 1918/7-D or 1937-D 3 Legs varieties as a required finish for an advanced collection.

Identification requires both the S mintmark and verification of the Type 2 reverse. Counterfeits and altered-mintmark pieces (typically 1913 Philadelphia Type 2s with an added S) are documented in the hobby, and any 1913-S Type 2 at key-date pricing should carry certification. The coin's combination of low mintage, design-change status, and high-grade rarity makes it one of the most distinctive Buffalo nickels in the entire series.