Buffalo Nickel Coin Specifications
The Buffalo Nickel was introduced to replace the prior Liberty Head design by Charles E. Barber. The same specifications were used for new design of the five cent nickel denomination.
Coins were struck for a period just over the 25 year statutory limit for a coin design. During the series from 1913 to 1938, coins were produced at the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco Mints.
The design was created by James Earle Fraser and features an American Bison on the reverse, from which the series takes its common name, and a Native American Indian chief on the obverse. The mint mark location is on the reverse of the coins, below the denomination.
Buffalo Nickel 1913-1938
| Year: | 1913-1938 | |||
| Mint: | Denver ("D" mint mark) Philadelphia (no mint mark) San Francisco ("S" mint mark) | |||
| Edge: | Plain | |||
| Designer: | James E. Fraser | |||
| Weight: | 5 grams | |||
| Composition: | 75% copper, 25% nickel | |||
| Diameter: | 21.2 mm |