Buffalo nickel values.

The 30-second version

A dateless Buffalo nickel is worth about $0.25–$0.50— melted-down nickel value plus token collector interest. A common-date Buffalo with a readable date is worth $1–$5 circulated. Mint State common dates run $30–$80. Key dates climb into the thousands, and the 1913-S Type 2 in high grade can reach $30,000+.

Two reverses: Type 1 and Type 2 (1913 only)

James Earle Fraser’s 1913 design originally placed the buffalo on a raised mound, with FIVE CENTS on the mound. The denomination wore off quickly, so mid-1913 the Mint flattened the mound and recessed FIVE CENTS. The two are easy to tell apart:

• Type 1 (raised mound): common, all three mints produced it. Circulated common date: $10–$25.
• Type 2 (flat ground): from mid-1913 onward. The 1913-S Type 2is the headliner — circulated $300–$700, Mint State $2,000–$30,000+.

Mint marks

The mint mark is on the reverse, just below FIVE CENTS:

• (blank) — Philadelphia.
• D — Denver.
• S — San Francisco.

Key dates and varieties

• 1913-S Type 2— the series key. Above.
• 1918/7-D overdate— a “7” underneath the “8” in the date. Circulated: $1,500–$10,000. Mint state: well into six figures.
• 1937-D “Three Legs”— a die was over-polished, removing the buffalo’s front-right leg. Circulated: $400–$1,000. Mint state: $2,000–$15,000+. Heavily counterfeited.
• 1916 Doubled Die Obverse— clear doubling on LIBERTY and the date. Worn: $3,500–$10,000.
• 1926-S— the lowest mintage regular issue. Worn: $15–$40. Mint state: $2,000–$20,000+.
• 1914/3, 1921-S, 1924-S, 1924-D— semi-keys. Worn examples $10–$60; mint state into four figures.

About dateless Buffalo nickels

The date sat on the highest-relief part of the obverse and wore off quickly in circulation. A nickel with no visible date is essentially impossible to attribute. Dealers buy dateless Buffaloes in bulk for $0.20–$0.50 apiece, primarily for jewelry and collector starter sets. Acid restoration (Nic-A-Date and similar) can reveal the date, but the restored coin is considered damaged and trades at a heavy discount.

Common dates: pricing

• Dateless: $0.20–$0.50.
• Date visible, worn (G–F): $1–$3.
• Extremely Fine (XF): $5–$15.
• About Uncirculated (AU): $15–$30.
• Mint State 60–63: $30–$60.
• Mint State 64–65: $60–$150.
• Mint State 66–67: $200–$1,500+ depending on date.

What to do next

1. Separate dateless coins from those with readable dates. Sort the readable ones by date and mint mark.
2. Pull aside 1913-S Type 2, 1918/7-D, 1926-S, 1937-D Three Legs, and any visibly uncirculated examples.
3. Photograph the obverse and reverse of any notable coin under good light.
4. Send to a working numismatist for a free appraisal.