1938 (D) Buffalo Nickel
Strike Type
Coin Details
Value Estimates
Values as of May 2026 — estimates reflect typical grades (G-4 through MS-67). Coins in lower or exceptional grades may fall outside this range.
Auction Record
$26,400 MS68+ 11-21-2023 Stack's Bowers
Description
The 1938 (D) Buffalo Nickel is a nickel produced at the Denver Mint as part of the Buffalo Nickels 1913-1938 series. Total mintage reached 7.0 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), while the reverse displays an American bison (often called Black Diamond after the famous bison at the Bronx Zoo) standing on a mound. Designed by James Earle Fraser. Struck in 75% copper, 25% nickel, weighing 5 grams, 21.2 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. Cataloged as PCGS #3984. James Earle Fraser's Buffalo Nickel is an iconic celebration of the American West, featuring a composite Native American portrait on the obverse and a bison on the reverse. The 1913-S Type II, 1918/7-D overdate, 1926-S, and the legendary 1937-D "Three-Legged Buffalo" (a dramatic die-polishing error) are highlights.
External References
Error Varieties(20)
1938-D Doubled Die Reverse DDR-001
1938-D Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-001
1938-D Over Mint Mark OMM-001
1938-D Over Mint Mark OMM-002
1938-D Over Mint Mark OMM-003
1938-D Over Mint Mark OMM-004
1938-D Over Mint Mark OMM-005
1938-D Over Mint Mark WOMM-001
1938-D Over Mint Mark WOMM-002
1938-D Over Mint Mark WOMM-003
1938-D Over Mint Mark WOMM-004
1938-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-001
1938-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-002
1938-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-003
1938-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-004
1938-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-005
1938-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-006
1938-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-007
1938-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-008
