1918 Buffalo Nickel

About This Coin

The 1918 Buffalo Nickel is a United States nickel from the Buffalo Nickels 1913-1938 series — 6th of 23 years in the series. In 1918, coins were struck at the Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Denver Mints with a combined mintage of 53.7 million. This ranks 15th of 23 years by total mintage, above the series median of 48.7 million. The obverse features a composite Native American portrait combining features of three real tribal chiefs — Iron Tail (Lakota), Two Moons (Cheyenne), and John Big Tree (Seneca) and the reverse displays an American bison (often called Black Diamond after the famous bison at the Bronx Zoo) standing on a mound. The 1918/7-D overdate — a 1917 die re-engraved for 1918 — is one of the most valuable Buffalo Nickel varieties. Struck in 75% copper, 25% nickel, weighing 5 grams, 21.2 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. Collectors have cataloged 9 known die varieties for this date across 5 categories, including atypical die clash, doubled die obverse, doubled die reverse and 2 other types. Across its variants, estimated values range from $7 to $3.1K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $351K in MS65 grade at Bowers & Merena. Designed by James Earle Fraser.