Indian Head Buffalo Nickels Value Guide
Coin Values for Buffalo Nickels are Listed Below
Coin Values for Buffalo Nickels are given in the table below. All Buffalo Nickels (also called Indian Head Nickels) that have a readable date are worth at least seven times their face value (thirty-five cents) unless they are badly damaged or almost totally worn out. Buffalo Nickels without dates are generally not collectible unless they clearly display a rare variety type, such as the "three-legged buffalo," but even then their value is greatly reduced. Some Buffalo Nickels, called key dates, are worth hundreds, even thousands of times their face value! Find out how much your Buffalo Nickels are worth in this value table. Keep in mind that these are guidelines. To get today's current market prices, you should contact a coin dealer.
The prices in this table are approximately what a dealer will give you for average grade coins of the type typically found in old jars, shoe boxes, Whitman folders, dealer "unsorted lots," etc. (See image above for an example of "average grade.") If your coins are still uncirculated, or have very little wear, the value could be 10 to 12 times as high or more. The mint mark, if the coin has one, is right below the FIVE CENTS on the reverse.
Buffalo Nickel Values (in U.S. Dollars)
| Date | Value | Date | Value | |
| 1913 Var. 1* | 4.50 | 1926 | 0.40 | |
| 1913 Var. 2* | 4.50 | 1926-D | 4.00 | |
| 1913-D Var. 1* | 6.50 | 1926-S | 11.00 | |
| 1913-D Var. 2* | 50.00 | 1927 | 0.35 | |
| 1913-S Var. 1* | 16.00 | 1927-D | 1.10 | |
| 1913-S Var. 2* | 120.00 | 1927-S | 0.70 | |
| 1914 | 10.00 | 1928 | 0.40 | |
| 1914-D | 38.00 | 1928-D | 0.50 | |
| 1914-S | 12.50 | 1928-S | 0.65 | |
| 1915 | 2.50 | 1929 | 0.35 | |
| 1915-D | 8.50 | 1929-D | 0.50 | |
| 1915-S | 18.00 | 1929-S | 0.50 | |
| 1916 | 2.25 | 1930 | 0.40 | |
| 1916 Dbld Die** | 1,200.00 | 1930-S | 0.40 | |
| 1916-D | 7.50 | 1931-S | 7.50 | |
| 1916-S | 4.25 | 1934 | 0.40 | |
| 1917 | 2.00 | 1934-D | 0.45 | |
| 1917-D | 8.50 | 1935 | 0.35 | |
| 1917-S | 10.50 | 1935-D | 0.35 | |
| 1918 | 1.75 | 1935-S | 0.35 | |
| 1918-D | 8.00 | 1936 | 0.35 | |
| 1918-D 8 over 7 | 550.00 | 1936-D | 0.40 | |
| 1918-S | 7.50 | 1936-S | 0.35 | |
| 1919 | 0.50 | 1937 | 0.35 | |
| 1919-D | 6.50 | 1937-D | 0.35 | |
| 1919-S | 5.50 | 1937-D *** | 180.00 | |
| 1920 | 0.50 | 1937-S | 0.35 | |
| 1920-D | 4.50 | 1938-D | 0.35 | |
| 1920-S | 2.25 | 1938-D D over S | 2.00 | |
| 1921 | 1.15 | |||
| 1921-S | 45.00 | |||
| 1923 | 0.50 | |||
| 1923-S | 3.00 | |||
| 1924 | 0.50 | |||
| 1924-D | 3.50 | |||
| 1924-S | 12.00 | |||
| 1925 | 1.10 | |||
| 1925-D | 5.50 | |||
| 1925-S | 3.50 |
Notes:
*The 1913 Variety 1 has FIVE CENTS on a raised surface; Variety 2 has FIVE CENTS
recessed (which continues through the rest of the series.)
**Clear doubling is seen in the date; very rare!
***So-called 3-legged buffalo variety
Sources include the "Blue Book Handbook of U.S. Coins," PCGS Online Coin Prices Guide, Heritage Galleries Web Site, and my own personal knowledge of Buffalo Nickel prices. 1914 Buffalo Nickel image courtesy of Harlan J. Berk, Ltd.
If you have a lot of coins to look up values for, and want to know the realistic prices that dealers will pay you, I recommend the Blue Book of U.S. Coin Values, which is the wholesale price guide that dealers use. It costs about $10 and is well-worth the small investment. Compare prices for the 2008 Blue Book.
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Coin Buyers Guide - Suggested Reading
- Things Sunken Treasure Coin Dealers Don't Want You to Know
- Some Things to Consider When Buying Morgan Dollars
- Learn to Protect Yourself From Graded Coin Value Fraud
- How to Find an Honest Coin Dealer
- Understand the Difference Between Price and Value
