The Buffalo nickel ran from 1913 to 1938, and its key dates are the 1913-S Type 2, the 1914-D, and the 1921-S. Its most famous coin is not a date at all — it is the 1937-D Three Legs variety.
This guide breaks the series down coin by coin: the low-mintage keys, the semi-keys worth pulling from a roll, and the design flaw that makes full dates matter more in this series than almost any other. For what each coin is worth by grade, see our Buffalo nickel value guide.
The Series at a Glance
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Years struck | 1913–1938 |
| Designer | James Earle Fraser — the portrait is a composite of Native American models; the buffalo was Black Diamond of the Central Park Zoo |
| Composition | 75% copper, 25% nickel — no precious metal, so value is collector-only, with no melt floor under it |
| Size | 21.2 mm, 5 grams — the same planchet the nickel still uses |
| The two types | Type 1 (1913 only): buffalo on a raised mound. Type 2 (1913–1938): buffalo on a line, struck to protect the denomination below it |
| Mints | Philadelphia (no mark), Denver (D), San Francisco (S) — the mark sits under FIVE CENTS on the reverse |
| Total struck | More than 1.2 billion — common dates survive in huge numbers, which is exactly why the keys stand out |
Buffalo Nickel Key Dates: The Breakdown
| Coin | Mintage | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1913-S Type 2 | 1,209,000 | The key regular issue of the series — the Type 2 redesign reached San Francisco late and in small numbers |
| 1914-D | 1,193,000 | The lowest Denver mintage among the regular dates; the D-mint key |
| 1931-S | 1,200,000 | The only Buffalo struck anywhere in 1931 — a Depression year. Hoarded from new, so mint-state coins are commoner than the mintage suggests |
| 1921-S | 1,557,000 | The post-war low year, and the last of the true keys |
| 1930-S | 1,954,000 | The strongest semi-key — under 2 million struck in the final decade’s first year |
| 1913-D Type 2 | 4,156,000 | Semi-key; pairs with the 1913-S to complete the first-year Type 2 set |
| 1927-S | 3,430,000 | Semi-key that is genuinely tough in mint state — most survivors circulated hard |
| 1913 Type 1 (all mints) | 31M / 5.3M / 2.1M | First-year, one-type-only coins. The raised mound wore FIVE CENTS away in pockets, which forced the Type 2 redesign within months |
| 1916 doubled die obverse | Variety | The series’ great doubled die — the date and lettering double visibly, no loupe needed |
| 1918/7-D overdate | Variety | A 1917 die re-punched for 1918; the 7 shows under the 8. One of the most valuable nickels in the series |
| 1937-D Three Legs | Variety | An over-polished die erased the buffalo’s front leg. Full story and values: 1937-D Three Legs breakdown |
The Date Problem: Why This Series Prices Differently
Fraser put the date on a raised shoulder of the design, where pocket wear hit it first. The result defines Buffalo nickel collecting: a large share of all survivors are dateless — identifiable as Buffalo nickels and nothing more — and dateless coins trade as culls at under a dollar, whatever they might have been. Every step of readable date adds value, a full bold date adds more, and the horn on the buffalo’s head is the second wear checkpoint: a full horn is the classic test of a Fine-grade coin. It is also why the semi-keys above are worth checking coin by coin — the difference between a dateless 1914-D and a full-date one is the difference between pocket change history and a three-figure coin. The value guide walks through reading dates, mint marks, and condition step by step.
Where the Buffalo Sits in the Nickel Line
The Buffalo replaced the Liberty nickel in 1913 and ran until the Jefferson nickel took over in 1938 — a 25-year run that the Mint itself honored by reissuing Fraser’s design on the 2001 commemorative dollar and the American Buffalo gold coin. In the full denomination picture it is the middle chapter of our U.S. coin values hub: the last nickel whose keys a roll hunter can still realistically find.
Buffalo Nickel FAQ
What are the Buffalo nickel key dates?
The 1913-S Type 2, 1914-D, and 1921-S are the keys, with the 1931-S and 1930-S close behind. The 1937-D Three Legs, 1918/7-D, and 1916 doubled die are the great varieties.
What is the rarest Buffalo nickel?
By mintage among regular issues, the 1914-D at 1,193,000 — a hair under the 1913-S Type 2. By value, the 1918/7-D overdate and top-grade 1913-S Type 2 coins lead the series.
Are dateless Buffalo nickels worth anything?
A little — they trade as culls, typically under a dollar each in bulk, because the date carries the value in this series. Acid-restored dates do not recover the premium; collectors can spot the etching and price them as dateless.
Where is the mint mark on a Buffalo nickel?
On the reverse, below the words FIVE CENTS at the bottom. D is Denver, S is San Francisco, and no mark is Philadelphia.
Do Buffalo nickels contain silver?
No. Despite the name and the era, every Buffalo nickel is 75% copper and 25% nickel — including the wartime years, when the silver five-cent piece was a different coin (the 1942–1945 war nickel).
Mintages are U.S. Mint production figures; variety values and grade pricing live in the linked value guide. This guide is educational, not financial advice.