5 Cents "Buffalo Nickel" flat ground

Features

Country	United States
Type	Standard circulation coin
Years	1913-1938
Value	5 Cents (0.05 USD)
Currency	Dollar (1785-date)
Composition	Copper-nickel
Weight	5 g
Diameter	21.2 mm
Thickness	1.95 mm
Shape	Round
Orientation	Coin alignment ↑↓
References	KM# 134, Schmidt, Tracy L. (editor); 2019. Standard Catalog of World Coins, 2001-Date (14^th edition). Krause Publications, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, USA. ISBN 9781440248979. Michael, Thomas & Tracy L. Schmidt; 2016. Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700 (7^th edition). Krause Publications, Iola, Wisconsin, USA. ISBN 9781440248573. Michael, Thomas (editor); 2016. Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800 (7^th edition). Krause Publications, Iola, Wisconsin, USA. ISBN 9781440247064. Schmidt, Tracy L. (editor); 2019. Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900 (9^th edition). Krause Publications, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, USA. ISBN 9781440248955. Schmidt, Tracy L. (editor); 2019. Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000 (47^th edition). Krause Publications, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, USA. ISBN 9781440248962. Schön# 132 Gerhard Schön; 2020. Weltmünzkatalog 20. Jahrhundert: 1901-2000 (47. Auflage). Battenberg, Regenstauf, Germany. ISBN 9783866461840. Kahnt, Helmut & Günter Schön; 2016. Weltmünzkatalog 19. Jahrhundert: 1801-1900 (17. Auflage). Battenberg. ISBN 9783866461185. Schön, Gerhard & Sebastian Krämer; 2017. Weltmünzkatalog 21. Jahrhundert: 2001-2016 (3. Auflage). Battenberg. ISBN 9783866461383.

Obverse

The composite profile of Iron Tail, an Oglala Sioux chief, Two Moons, a Cheyenne chief, and Big Tree, a Kiowa chief

Lettering:
LIBERTY
1936
F

Engraver: James Earle Fraser

Reverse

A standing American bison facing left with the country name above and the denomination below

Lettering:
UNITED·STATES·OF·AMERICA
E
PLURIBUS
UNUM
FIVE CENTS

Translation:
United States of America
Out
of Many
One
FIve Cents

Engraver: James Earle Fraser

Edge

Smooth

Mints

	United States Mint, Philadelphia, United States (1792-date)
D	United States Mint, Denver, United States (1906-date)
S	United States Mint, San Francisco, United States (1854-date)

Comments

There is some uncertainty about the 1914/3 overdate variety, as some claim it might have been caused by a damaged die.

According to the legend, the bison used as a model for this coin was "Black Diamond" (1893-1915), a famous bison at the Central Park zoo in New York City.
If there is a mintmark, it is below E C of FIVE CENTS.

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Date	Mintage	G	VG	F	VF	XF	AU	UNC	Frequency
?		0.24	0.27						15%
1913	29,857,186	5.44	10.64	11.30	10.89	15.12			6%
1913	1,514								0.11%	Proof
1913 D	4,156,000	35.97							1.2%
1913 S	1,209,000								0.7%
1914	20,664,463	21.10	8.27	3.01	23.62				4%	Overdate variety possibly exists (1914/3)
1914	1,275								0.11%	Proof
1914 D	3,912,000			89.70					1.1%
1914 S	3,470,000								1.2%
1915	20,986,220		6.24	6.53	5.31				6%
1915	1,050								0.15%	Proof
1915 D	7,569,000		12.03	15.97					1.6%
1915 S	1,505,000	41.77							0.9%
1916	63,497,466	2.10	5.33	2.79	7.09	12.73			9%
1916									0.3%	Doubled Die Obverse, mintage included with 1916
1916	600								0.12%	Proof
1916 D	13,333,000								2%
1916 S	11,860,000	6.51							2%
1917	51,424,019	1.96	4.31	4.36	3.54				8%
1917 D	9,910,000		11.68						1.9%
1917 S	4,193,000								1.4%
1918	32,086,314	3.09	0.71	3.54	3.46				7%
1918 D	8,362,000	4.10	14.86						1.9%	Overdate variety exists (1918/7)
1918 S	4,882,000	2.17	28.23						1.8%
1919	60,868,000	2.04	2.59	4.72	4.71				10%
1919 D	8,006,000	6.29							1.9%
1919 S	7,521,000		8.09						2%
1920	63,093,000	1.04	2.20	2.67	2.70	15.86			14%
1920 D	9,418,000	7.68	5.33						2%
1920 S	9,689,000	2.79	10.45						3%
1921	10,663,000		5.18	6.39					4%
1921 S	1,557,000	40.58	84.18						0.9%
1923	35,715,000	0.53	2.09	4.25	4.85				11%
1923 S	6,142,000	6.70	9.15						3%
1924	21,620,000	1.57	1.20	2.53	3.97				9%
1924 D	5,258,000	5.93	21.14	16.70					1.9%
1924 S	1,437,000		12.60						1.5%
1925	35,565,100	2.10	2.34	3.34	5.90				12%
1925 D	4,450,000	3.73							2%
1925 S	6,256,000	5.03	5.20						3%
1926	44,693,000	0.51	1.35	2.21	2.67				14%
1926 D	5,638,000	9.44							1.8%
1926 S	970,000			53.20					1.1%
1927	37,981,000	1.15	1.18	1.61	3.27				15%
1927 D	5,730,000	2.65			25.53				3%
1927 S	3,430,000								3%
1928	23,411,000	0.89	1.20	2.10	2.11	4.70			14%
1928 D	6,436,000	1.51		5.27					4%
1928 S	6,936,000		1.91	2.08	12.36				5%
1929	36,446,000	1.06	1.54	2.27	2.65	5.44			15%
1929 D	8,370,000		0.90	2.27					5%
1929 S	7,754,000	1.39	1.05	1.54		27.21			6%
1930	22,849,000	1.15	1.20	2.39	3.44	10.87			14%
1930 S	5,435,000		2.14	2.10	3.32				5%
1931 S	1,200,000			14.29	29.43	25.26			2%
1934	20,213,003	0.78	1.05	2.13	4.09	3.53			12%
1934 D	7,480,000		2.36	1.30	7.20				5%
1935	58,264,000	1.00	1.07	2.13	2.11	4.53	10.87		23%
1935									1.0%	Doubled Die Reverse (rare), mintage included with 1935
1935 D	12,092,000	1.58	1.56	1.32	2.36	19.59			8%
1935 S	10,300,000		1.06	1.78	2.55				7%
1936	118,997,000	1.00	1.05	1.48	2.13	3.66	1.71	24.84	35%
1936									1.0%	Brilliant
1936									0.6%	Brilliant Proof, mintage included with 1936
1936	4,420								0.4%	Proof
1936 D	24,814,000	1.06	1.18	1.77	2.13				11%
1936 D									0.3%	3-1/2-legged buffalo (ultra rare), mintage included with 1936 D
1936 S	14,930,000		1.33	1.78	1.59				9%
1937	79,480,000	1.00	1.06	1.05	1.89	3.66	5.44		30%
1937	5,769								0.5%	Proof
1937 D	17,826,000	0.52	1.56	1.85	2.78	4.24			10%
1937 D									0.4%	3-legged buffalo (ultra rare), mintage included with 1937 D
1937 S	5,635,000				2.11		14.75		5%
1938 D	7,020,000		2.42	1.80	3.27	5.10	8.10	52.60	8%
1938 D								36.88	1.0%	Repunched mintmark (D over S; many varieties), mintage included with 1938 D

Values in the table above are expressed in USD. They are based on evaluations by Numista users and sales realized on Internet platforms. They serve as a measure, but they are not intended to be relied upon for buying, selling or exchanging. Numista does not buy or sell coins or banknotes.

Frequencies show the percentage of Numista users who own each year or variety among all the users who own this coin. Since some users own several versions, the sum may be greater than 100%.

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