The popular US coin called the Buffalo Nickel was only minted from 1913 to 1938, but it quickly became one of the most popular coins and certainly one of the most collectible. The Buffalo Nickel used to be very easy to find throughout the 1960’s, but after that point, availability dropped off sharply. This meant that these coins became very sought after and to this day finding a Buffalo Nickel is certainly cause for celebration.

The actual design on the coin is not really a buffalo, but rather a depiction of the American Bison. The front of a Buffalo Nickel features the face of a Native American. The designer, James Earle Fraser, used three historic Native American chiefs as a composite for this design, and the buffalo was placed on the back. It was his intention to create a coin that would be similar in style to the coins produced during ancient times and little did he know that his creation would become this popular.

Early copies of the Buffalo Nickel carry the words Five Cents on the back, and these are very rare indeed. Production on this particular design was halted once it was observed that the raised lettering would wear off quickly. For collectors, it is truly remarkable to come across one of the coins that was minted during this period, particularly if the words are still intact. Once the new design was released, the lettering was lowered, but oddly enough, the raised lettering on the date was not.

This led to yet another similar problem, but this was never actually fixed. Most Buffalo Nickels no longer have their date intact due to this problem, so it can be complicated to determine when exactly the coin was minted. However, many collectors feel that this backstory adds to the overall charm of the coin.

There was one error in the design that only appears on the coins that were minted during 1937. For some reason, the buffalo design was changed slightly and on these coins, it appears as though it only has three legs. When you add this to the fact that the coin would stop being circulated in less than a year, the 1937 edition is probably the most sought after edition.

Even though these coins were mass produced between the period of 1913 to 1938, finding one today is very rare. It is estimated that approximately 1 in every 25,000 nickels is a Buffalo Nickel, but many collectors would lower that further. This means that there is a big demand for those that collect this type of coin and you can typically find them only at auction or if a private collector decides to sell their collection.

The Buffalo Nickel was the inspiration for another coin that was recently released. The American Buffalo is a gold coin that takes many of its design cues from Fraser’s original. Although this may have more face value, to the collector of Buffalo Nickels, there is no replacement for the original.

Originally posted 2008-08-19 05:00:07. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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By taking a closer look at the three most expensive American coins, it is a little easier to determine how they might have risen to the value that they are currently valued at. Whether you can purchase these coins, you will be able to understand their value and maybe even dream about the day when you too will be able to have one in your own collection. Among the three most valuable of the coins produced by America include the 1804 Silver Dollar, the 1933 Double Eagle and the 1913 Liberty Nickel.

1804 Silver Dollar

This coin is so rare because it has gone through two different wars in which coins have been melted to be reused for different items including other coins. Not many people were collecting coins during these time periods which explains why is one of the only American coins which is worth over ten million dollars. The beauty of the coin has a lot to do with its value in addition to the fact that there are only 19 coins which are known to exist. Finding a coin of this rarity in good condition is even rarer.

1933 Double Eagle

This coin is a well-known forgery since it is the rarest of American coins. This is not due to misuse or great numbers being lost or melted for other purposes. It is because the coin is actually illegal to purchase. There is only one such coin which has been certified as being legal to own though its whereabouts are in question to date. Other coins have turned up over the years and have been confiscated by the secret service. This all goes back to the executive order Franklin D. Roosevelt signed which was intended to recall all gold coins to stabilize the banking industry.

1913 Liberty Nickel

The value of this nickel is estimated at $5.9 simply because the coin was only created for one year and was not created by the U.S. Mint. Being the only of the American coins to be produced without permission, it has not been kept around. This is because most people tossed out what was considered at the time to be worthless. These days, there are only five of the Liberty Nickels known to exist and they are extremely valuable simply because of how rare they are.

Photo Credits: oceandesetoiles

Originally posted 2010-08-22 03:55:09. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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