Buffalo Nickel Value
Buffalo nickels, struck from 1913 to 1938, are 75% copper and 25% nickel.
Melt value
No melt value: base metal
This coin is 75% copper, 25% nickel. Doubloon doesn't give copper, nickel, zinc or steel a melt value; for this coin, the date, mint mark and condition decide the collector value.
Check yours in Doubloon
Photograph the front and back. Doubloon identifies the year and mint mark and shows the melt value. Doubloon Pro adds collector ranges with their sources and the key dates to check.
Download on the App StoreiPhone, iOS 18 or later. The free plan includes 3 scans.
Specifications
| Series | Buffalo Nickel |
|---|---|
| Years | 1913 to 1938 |
| Mints | No mint mark (Philadelphia) D (Denver) S (San Francisco) |
| Mint mark location | Reverse, below FIVE CENTS under the bison. |
| Years | Metal content | Composition | Weight | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 to 1938 | None (base metal) | 75% copper, 25% nickel | 5 g | 21.2 mm |
Metal content = weight × precious-metal fraction ÷ 31.1034768 grams per troy ounce. Worn coins weigh slightly less than new ones.
Key dates and varieties to check
These are the known key dates, varieties and metal changes for the Buffalo Nickel. Each entry says what to look at on the coin.
- Key date1913-S Type 2Look for an S below FIVE CENTS, which sits in a recess under a flat line of ground.
- Semi-key date1913-D Type 2Look for a D below FIVE CENTS, which sits in a recess under a flat line of ground.
- Variety1913 Type 1 or Type 2Look under the bison: Type 1 stands on a raised mound with FIVE CENTS on it; Type 2 stands on a flat line with FIVE CENTS recessed below.
- Variety1914/3Look at the last digit with a loupe for traces of a 3 under the 4.
- Variety1916 Doubled Die ObverseLook at the date: the 1916 shows a clear second, offset date.
- Variety1918/7-DLook for a D on the reverse and the top of a 7 inside the 8 of the date.
- Key date1921-SLook for an S below FIVE CENTS on a 1921 date.
- Semi-key date1926-SLook for an S below FIVE CENTS on a 1926 date.
- Variety1936-D 3 and a Half LegsLook at the bison's front right leg: it is partly polished away, leaving a thin partial leg.
- Variety1937-D 3-LeggedCount the bison's legs: the front right leg is missing, leaving three, with a D below FIVE CENTS.
Doubloon can't confirm a variety from a photo. Compare your coin with this guidance. A grading service can authenticate it.
What sets the value
Melt value is the gold, silver, platinum or palladium in the coin multiplied by the current spot price. Copper, nickel, zinc and steel coins have no melt value in Doubloon.
Collector value depends on the date, the mint mark, any variety, and condition. Doubloon Pro shows a collector estimate range by condition, built from recent public sales and listings, with the sources and date for each range. When no recent sales are found, Doubloon says so and shows the melt value.
Condition runs from Circulated (Good to Fine) through Extremely Fine, About Uncirculated and Uncirculated, to Proof for coins struck for collectors. Don't clean a coin: cleaning can lower its collector value.
Related coins
Sources and dates
- Doubloon catalog source: usmint-history
- A Guide Book of United States Coins (Whitman): key dates, varieties and mintages
- Doubloon catalog source: pcgs-coinfacts
- Doubloon catalog source: ngc-coin-explorer
- Spot prices: unavailable when this page was loaded.
- Specifications and key dates: Doubloon's catalog, reviewed October 8, 2026.
Values on this page are estimates, not appraisals, offers or investment advice.