Coins and Paper Money -> Coins – US -> Nickels -> Buffalo (1913-1938): 1913-19, 1920-29, 1930-38, Mixed Lots
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
Related Posts -
Finding Out if You Have Coins with Value All coin collectors will want to completely understand the value of their coin collection and will want to know if they have coins with value. Even those who do not want to sell their collection are going to want to work to understand their values of the purpose of insurance...... -
Collecting Coins of the World Start with your pocket change Start out by studying coins you pull from your pockets, or failing that, some old coins from your attic, on your floor, or out in public. As a novice coin collector, it makes no sense to spend a lot of your money on coins if...... -
Silver Bullion Coins Coins & Paper Money -> Bullion -> Silver People buy silver bullion coins for a few different reasons. Some buy them because of the precious metal content as an investment and buffer against inflation. Some people buy them because they fear that one day our popular currency will become worthless,...... -
Rare Coins to Add to Your Collection The wide variety of coins and paper money that can be added to your collection come in the forms of both easy-to-access money and rare coins. Rare coins are a special part of coin collecting, providing individuals with goals to set and coins to chase. There are some coins that...... -
Starting a Coin Collection for Cheap A coin collection can be a fun and interesting hobby for individuals of all ages. What many fail to realize is that this type of collection can be a great hobby for people of all income levels and financial backgrounds. You do not need to have a lot of money......
Related Websites -
A Brief History of Old Canadian Coins Numismatists enjoy getting to know the history of any coins. This is why those interested in collecting Canadian coins are interested in getting the oldest coins possible as well as the rarest. As the history of the old Canadian coins is looked into, many are shocked to find out that...... -
How To Clean Old Coins If you are an avid coin collector, you want to keep these coins in mint condition. One of the best ways to do this is to know how to clean old coins in the proper way. Collecting old coins has been a favorite hobby for many people for a very...... -
Good Coins to Start Your Coin Collection One of the things that make coin collecting so incredibly interesting is the sheer wealth of different coins that you can add to your coin collection. Currencies from around the world provide thousands of different types of coins that can be collected. It can be difficult to find the coins...... -
Tips for Looking For Gold Coins Every serious coin collector has a specific type of coin that they look for. Some look to collect the same type of coin across the currencies of different countries, like those who look to collect gold coins. There are plenty of coin collectors out there who are looking for gold...... -
3 of the Many Collectable American Coins There are several rare and collectable coins from all over the world. If you are looking to get into collecting coins and you have a special interest in specifically American coins then there are plenty of options for you to choose from. You can find collectable American coins which range......
- Helmets Buffalo Bills Football-NFL Fan Apparel & Souvenirs Sports Collectibles
- Beads, Beadwork 1600-1799 Native Americana Cultures, Ethnicities Collectibles
- Jefferson (1938-Now) Nickels Coins: US Coins & Paper Money
- 50 American Eagle Silver Bullion Coins & Paper Money
- 1940s Popular, by decade Sheet Music Sheet Music & Song Books
