5 Cents "Buffalo Nickel" flat ground

Features

Issuer	United States
Period	Federal republic (1776-date)
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 ↑↓
Number	N# 1109 Numista (https://numista.com)
References	KM# 134, Tracy L. Schmidt (editor); 2019. Standard Catalog of World Coins / 2001-Date (14^th edition). Krause Publications, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, USA. And 4 more volumes. Schön# 132 Gerhard Schön; 2020. Weltmünzkatalog / 20. Jahrhundert: 1901-2000 (47. Auflage). Gietl Verlag, Regenstauf, Germany. And 2 more volumes.

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
Undetermined
?		0.20	0.29		1.75				15%
1913	29 857 186	4.96	9.69	9.38	8.95	20	29		6%
1913	1 514								0.11%	Proof
1913 D	4 156 000	39							1.4%
1913 S	1 209 000	50							0.9%
1914	20 664 463	8.83	11	5.95	5.83				4%	Overdate variety possibly exists (1914/3)
1914	1 275								0.12%	Proof
1914 D	3 912 000	0.96	51	103					1.3%
1914 S	3 470 000	12	27	25					1.5%
1915	20 986 220	5.03	6.16	3.23	5.28			125	6%
1915	1 050								0.15%	Proof
1915 D	7 569 000		12	20					1.8%
1915 S	1 505 000	30	39						1.1%
1916	63 497 466	1.98	4.83	2.77	7.04	15		89	9%
1916									0.3%	Doubled Die Obverse, mintage included with 1916
1916	600								0.12%	Proof
1916 D	13 333 000	7.86	11	11					2%
1916 S	11 860 000	4.50	6.77	6.61					2%
1917	51 424 019	3.07	3.52	3.23	3.52	16			9%
1917 D	9 910 000	7.39	4.83	42					2%
1917 S	4 193 000	14	31	53					1.6%
1918	32 086 314	3.71	1.16	4.19	4.69	4.83			7%
1918 D	8 362 000	4.07	19						2%	Overdate variety exists (1918/7)
1918 S	4 882 000	7.75	28	43					2%
1919	60 868 000	1.98	2.57	3.84	4.68	15			10%
1919 D	8 006 000	6.25	3.25						2%
1919 S	7 521 000	3.25	8.03		58				2%
1920	63 093 000	1.00	1.49	2.35	3.60	11	15		15%
1920 D	9 418 000	7.62	5.29	2.23					3%
1920 S	9 689 000	2.72	5.29	7.72					3%
1921	10 663 000	2.04	4.83	5.52	6.77				5%
1921 S	1 557 000	17	84						1.1%
1923	35 715 000	0.53	1.04	3.82	4.10	1.10			11%
1923 S	6 142 000	6.53	9.09						3%
1924	21 620 000	1.27	1.34	2.02	3.92				9%
1924 D	5 258 000	7.41	4.33	17					2%
1924 S	1 437 000	12	26						1.6%
1925	35 565 100	1.98	2.06	2.87	5.86				12%
1925 D	4 450 000	6.39	11	27					3%
1925 S	6 256 000	3.59	5.38	2.06					3%
1926	44 693 000	0.50	0.99	2.06	1.44	4.77			14%
1926 D	5 638 000	9.37	8.42						2%
1926 S	970 000	19	20	61					1.4%
1927	37 981 000	1.04	1.17	1.61	2.89	4.60			15%
1927 D	5 730 000	2.18	3.47		25				4%
1927 S	3 430 000	1.84	1.25	7.38					3%
1928	23 411 000	0.84	1.25	2.09	3.47	4.78			15%
1928 D	6 436 000	0.99	1.72	5.50	4.98				4%
1928 S	6 936 000	0.97	1.01	2.90	12				5%
1929	36 446 000	0.86	1.35	2.09	2.58	5.41			15%
1929 D	8 370 000	1.00	0.96	2.25					5%
1929 S	7 754 000	1.25	1.33	1.84	1.98	12			7%
1930	22 849 000	0.82	1.29	2.08	2.66	3.81			15%
1930 S	5 435 000		2.13	2.09	3.30		27		6%
1931 S	1 200 000	16		14	20	25			2%
1934	20 213 003	0.66	1.04	1.74	3.05	3.86			13%
1934 D	7 480 000		2.16	1.92	7.15			68	6%
1935	58 264 000	0.99	1.00	1.76	2.06	2.01	11		24%
1935									1.0%	Doubled Die Reverse (rare), mintage included with 1935
1935 D	12 092 000	1.07	1.58	2.43	2.35	19			8%
1935 S	10 300 000	1.00	1.51	1.92	1.98	4.33			8%
1936	118 997 000	1.00	1.04	1.43	2.06	3.15	1.95	20	36%
1936									1.0%	Brilliant
1936									0.6%	Brilliant Proof, mintage included with 1936
1936	4 420								0.4%	Proof
1936 D	24 814 000	1.00	1.04	1.78	1.92	3.51			12%
1936 D									0.3%	3-1/2-legged buffalo (ultra rare), mintage included with 1936 D
1936 S	14 930 000		1.48	1.64	1.90	2.06			9%
1937	79 480 000	0.97	1.00	1.04	1.94	3.52	8.66	11	31%
1937	5 769								0.5%	Proof
1937 D	17 826 000	0.83	1.15	1.75	2.46	3.96	6.49		11%
1937 D									0.5%	3-legged buffalo (ultra rare), mintage included with 1937 D
1937 S	5 635 000			1.49	2.42		15	29	6%
1938 D	7 020 000		1.52	1.96	4.74	4.84	6.12	43	8%
1938 D								53	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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