Buffalo Nickel Key Dates & Varieties
Minted 1913-1938. James Earle Fraser designed it. The series has half a dozen famous key dates, two iconic die varieties (Three-Legged Buffalo, Two-Feathers), and one of the most beloved aesthetics in US coinage.
The Design: Composite portrait of three Native American chiefs (Iron Tail, Two Moons, John Big Tree) on the obverse. The reverse buffalo was modeled after "Black Diamond" from the Central Park Zoo. Type I (1913 only) shows the buffalo on a raised mound; Type II (1913-1938) shows him on a flat plain.
The Six Key Dates
| Date | Mintage | MS-65 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1913-S Type 2 | 1.2M | $2,400 | Type II first year, low San Fran mintage |
| 1914-D | 3.9M | $1,650 | Denver semi-key |
| 1918/7-D (overdate) | est. 100K | $72,000 | Famous overdate, mint engraver error |
| 1921-S | 1.6M | $2,800 | Low mintage, popular semi-key |
| 1924-S | 1.4M | $3,800 | Same era as 21-S, similar dynamics |
| 1937-D Three-Legged | est. 10K | $18,500 | Famous die error, buffalo missing front leg |
The Three-Legged Story
In 1937, a Denver mint employee over-polished a working die, removing the buffalo's front leg entirely while leaving the hoof. The error coin was struck for an estimated 10,000 examples before discovery. It became one of the most famous error coins in US numismatics.
Counterfeit versions exist — including some that started as real Buffalos with the leg ground off. Authentication relies on a specific gap pattern between the missing leg and the body, plus die markers on the reverse. PCGS-certified examples are the only safe purchase.
Date-and-Mint Wear Note
Buffalo Nickels famously wear at the date first. The high-relief design with the date in a recessed area means circulated examples often show partial or no date — "dateless" Buffaloes trade for $0.50-1.00 each as type coins.
For collectors building a set, prioritize dates that are crisp + legible. PCGS-graded examples with strong dates are worth the premium over raw "cherrypick" offerings.
Common Variety: Two-Feathers
An over-polished die error from 1936 + 1937 removed a feather on the headdress of the Native American figure. Less famous than Three-Legged but worth noting for set-builders. PCGS-graded MS-65 examples trade ~$1,200.
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