1919 Buffalo Nickel

About This Coin

The 1919 Buffalo Nickel is a United States nickel from the Buffalo Nickels 1913-1938 series — 7th of 23 years in the series. In 1919, coins were struck at the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco Mints with a combined mintage of 76.4 million. This ranks 18th 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. Minted during and after World War I, as America emerged as a global power and experienced the prosperity of the Roaring Twenties. 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 3 categories, including atypical die clash, doubled die obverse, doubled die reverse. Across its variants, estimated values range from $3 to $2.0K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $109K in MS66 grade at Heritage Auctions. Designed by James Earle Fraser.