Buffalo Nickels: Dates, Dies & the Famous 3-Legged

No coin looks more like the American West than the Buffalo nickel. Designed by James Earle Fraser and struck from 1913 to 1938, it pairs a composite Native American portrait on the obverse with an American bison on the reverse — both modelled from life. It is rugged, sculptural, and beloved, and it carries a couple of quirks that make it one of the more characterful series to collect.

Type 1 and Type 2 of 1913

The very first year comes in two varieties. On Type 1 (early 1913), the bison stands on a raised mound, with the denomination FIVE CENTS on the high ground — where it wore away quickly. The Mint recut the reverse to Type 2, placing the bison on flat ground with the denomination in a recess below, protecting it from wear. Both are needed for a complete set, and the 1913 pair is a tidy lesson in why mints adjust their designs.

Why so many are dateless

Here is the series' famous flaw: the date sits on a raised area at the bottom of the obverse that took the brunt of circulation wear. On heavily worn coins the date simply rubs away, leaving the well-known 'dateless' Buffalo nickel — collectable as a type, but worth little because it cannot be attributed. It is why finding original, full-date coins, especially in higher grade, is more of a challenge than the mintages suggest, and why date sharpness is a key thing to grade.

• 1913 Type 1 vs. Type 2 — both required for the set.
• 1913-S Type 2, 1914-D, 1915-S — early semi-keys.
• 1921-S and 1926-S — among the toughest dates.
• Dateless coins — common, attractive, but low value.

The 1937-D 3-Legged

The celebrity of the series is the 1937-D '3-Legged' Buffalo. Over-polishing of a worn die at the Denver mint removed the bison's front leg, leaving it standing on three legs with only a faint trace of a stump. It is a dramatic, easily understood error with a great story, and it is famous enough to be widely faked — usually by grinding the leg off a normal coin. Genuine examples show specific accompanying die characteristics, so buy this one certified. Beyond the 3-Legged, the Buffalo nickel rewards collectors who prize bold strikes, sharp dates, and original, un-cleaned surfaces.