The Indian Head Nickel coin, also known as the Buffalo Nickel, is the third coin design in the Five Cent Nickel series. This coin design by portrait sculptor James Earle Fraser succeeded Charles Barber’s Liberty Head V Nickel in 1913 and continued minting until 1938. The coining of a new design was part of the mandate to beautify the American coinage, which was proving to be still unsuccessful after several attempts. The Mint thought that commissioning a real artist would solve the problem so they hired the portrait sculptor. James Earle Fraser did away with the common patriotic symbols and experimented with the portrait of a Native American Indian for the obverse side of the coin and an American bison (buffalo) on the reverse. The artistic sculptor said he wanted to create a design that is unmistakably American that’s why he chose the buffalo, which he thought was 100% American. And the American Indian portrait complemented his concept perfectly.
1924 Indian Head Nickel – Obverse
- Indian head nickels and Buffalo nickels hearken to an earlier, golden time in American history. Dateless Buffalo nickels would often find homes within the workshops and studios of artisans and jewelers.
- Indian Head (Buffalo) 5 Cents 'Buffalo nickel' most American coin By Paul Gilkes COIN WORLD Staff Renowned sculptor James Earle Fraser was fascinated by the American Indian, so much so that it was.
Learn how to grade Buffalo (Indian) Head Nickels with pictures of G4, VG, F12, VF, EF, AU, MS (BU) grades. Also, visit our Buffalo Nickel facts page and see their value with our price guide, and find the date you want to buy. Buffalo Nickel grading guide for the US coin collector.
This new design impressed the U.S. government because of the freshness and originality of the concept. It totally broke away from the monotony of the previous designs without losing the American distinction. However, it received mixed reviews when it was officially released on March 4, 1913.
The general public found the new coin as “truly American” but media critics found it mediocre. Some even thought it to be everything a coin should not be. The new design also failed to get the nod of the Mint because of striking difficulties it posed—the usual problem with designs made by artists outside the Mint. No matter how the Mint tried to adjust the design, the resulting coins still bore imprecise images. Due to the weakness of the strike, the elements on the coin easily wore off after some time in the circulation. The coin dies used in minting were also wearing off much faster than usual, even faster than the Liberty Head V Nickel coin dies. This caused higher production costs.
1924 Indian Head Nickel – Reverse
Several redesigns were made to address these problems. The words “Five Cents” were enlarged and the hill on which the bison stood was flattened. The word “Liberty” was also polished for more emphasis. However, authorities remain unconvinced. They said that the alterations made no difference or improvement in the minting process. The redesigns only resulted in more incongruities hence, several varieties of the Buffalo Nickel. So when the minimum 25 years of circulation expired in January 1938, a competition to come up with a new design was immediately opened to the public. The new design was to feature President Thomas Jefferson and his home, Monticello. And the Buffalo Nickel met its end.
Coin Values Moving with Precious Metals: Up-Dated 2/8/2021: Gold $1813 | Silver $26.90
Today the 1929 nickel value begins at 65 cents each. The price is for a heavily worn coin, in what is known as 'Good' condition.
The latter years of Buffalo nickels begin to show a lowering of minimum values. However production at the Denver and San Francisco mints was far less than Philadelphia.
Look first for branch mint coins, identified by an 'S' or 'D' as they are highly valued by collectors, often worth twice the Philadelphia nickel. Any buffalo nickel, with a readable date and either a 'D' or 'S' mintmark is in demand.
Along with mintmarks and dates, the condition of your old nickel must be considered, it drives 1929 nickel value higher.
Is your coin heavily worn and only part of the date shows, or is it well defined and sharp in appearance? The difference in how much your Buffalo nickel is worth is often surprising. A 1929-D ranges in value from $.70 cents to over $49 and higher depending on condition.
Of the three mints that produced Buffalo nickels, the 1929 'D' is the one you are hoping to find.
A small 'D' located on the reverse indicates the coin was minted in Denver. The next in value is the San Francisco mint coin identified by an 'S'. And very similar to the 'S' in value is the Philadelphia mint issue, it does not have a mintmark.
| 1929 Nickel Value | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Condition of Coin | ||||
| Date | Good | Fine | Extremely Fine | Uncirculated |
| 1929 Nickel Value Updated | 2021 | |||
| 1929 | $0.67 | $2.04 | $12 | $32 |
| 1929 D | $0.70 | $2 | $25 | $51 |
| 1929 S | $0.70 | $2 | $9 | $36 |
Auction Produces $632 Value for 1929 Buffalo Nickel
Major coin auctions attract the highest quality coins and present them to the highest quality bidders.
Heritage Auction Galleries is today's largest rare coin auction house. Their auctions consistently sell millions of dollars of rare coins. Additionally their website boasts over 500,000 registered users. A few more prominent rare coin auction firms include..
- Bowers and Merena Auctions
- Stacks Rare Coin Auctions
- Ira and Larry Goldberg Auctioneers
The above are all respected leaders in the industry that produce results. Here is the outcome of one superior 1929 nickel at auction.
With eye catching light maroon toning fading to violet at the rims it required a final price of $632 at a Heritage Auction for one serious collector to take home a Gem condition 1929-S nickel. A high quality coin selling in a high quality auction resulted in high 1929 nickel value.
Condition Determines 1929 Nickel Value
As you sort through these old nickels, separate nicer quality ones from the rest and compare them to the 'Grading' images. Judging their condition accurately identifies coins with potentially higher value.
Uncirculated: A 1929 buffalo nickel in this condition stands out as a superior coin. It never circulated, therefore its surfaces show no signs of wear. Handle coins in Uncirculated condition by their edges to preserve their value. Rotate the coin under a light, examine the cheek of the Indian and upper back of the buffalo for signs of wear, appearing as dullness on the high spots.
Extremely Fine: Slight reduction of details are noticeable. Design high points showing worn effects are the feathers, braid and hair on the obverse. Continue your examination on the reverse along the upper back of the buffalo. The separation of finer fur details is incomplete.
Fine: Also a collectible grade for a 1929 nickel, the coin has a pleasing but worn appearance. A full bold date with legends separated from the rims, increases this grade from a lesser one. Ample design details are visible on both the Buffalo and Indian.
Good: Buffalo nickels have such a bold design that even in Good condition they are pleasing. Wear however has lowered the rim to the point it begins to touch the tops of the lettering on both the obverse and reverse and the date is faint but readable.
Indian Head Nickel 1937
Coin Values | CoinStudy Articles
Date by Date
In Depth Buffalo Nickel Value
1913 to 1938
1913 | 1919 | 1926 | 1934 |
1914 | 1920 | 1927 | 1935 |
1915 | 1921 | 1928 | 1936 |
1916 | 1923 | 1929 | 1937 |
1917 | 1924 | 1930 | 1938 |
1918 | 1925 | 1931 |
Indian Head Nickel 1937
Check all your buffalo nickel values with the chart. Rising prices, increasing demand from both collectors and rare coin dealers requires a second look at your coins.
Including more relating to your 1929 nickel value. Easily find how much your old coins are worth.
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Finding Rare Nickels!
Indian Head Nickel Value Chart
On occasion rare nickels do turn up.. old better date buffalo nickels, valuable silver war nickels, even a few Jefferson nickels and others. Search your box of old coins and discover the possibilities of.. Finding Rare Nickels