Buffalo Nickels

The Buffalo Nickels is one of the most popular US coin designs. Also known as the Indian Head Nickel, this coin carries the enduring image of the American Bison on the reverse of the coin. The images used on the coin are famous for their depiction of the native beauty of the American West.


Buffalo Nickels were designed by James E. Fraser. It was minted from 1913 to 1937 at the Denver, Philadelphia, and San Francisco mints. The series contains some notable highlights and key date coins that make the series both a challenge and a pleasure to collect.

The Buffalo series contains one of the most notable mint errors, the 1937-D Three Legged Buffalo Nickel. The buffalo pictured on the coin is missing one of the front legs. The hoof and stump at the bottom of the leg remain visible. This fascinating error was caused when a mint employee ground the leg off of the mint die when trying to remove some other marks. This coin is considered the key date of the series since most collectors desire an example for their sets.

Besides the regular mint issues, Proof Buffalo Nickels were minted for few years. This gives them a special appeal for collectors. Matte proof coins were minted in limited numbers from 1913 to 1917. Following this brief run, proof coins were not minted again until the final years of the series from 1937 to 1938.