US Indian Head or Buffalo Nickel 1913 to 1938

Worn Buffalo nickels with dates catalog for about $2 US dollar or so, rising in price with condition. We address the 'common date' buffalos first, followed by better dates and mint marks below.

COMMON DATE BUFFALO NICKELS
worn: $2 US dollar approximate catalog value
average circulated: $4
well preserved: $18
fully uncirculated: $50

If you coin has no date, it has been worn away. Dateless buffs are basically worthless to collectors. Fully uncirculated buffs are always in demand, and usually reach into the $50 to $100 dollar range in catalog value, even for common dates. Their value depends on specific dates, number of tics and marks, and overall eye appeal. Remember all the values on CoinQuest are catalog values, and actual values are almost always less (see our Terminology page for an explanation).

The list below gives very approximate catalog values for 'better date' buffs in average circulated condition. The coin in our main picture (upper right) is in average circulated condition. All other dates and mint marks are common dates, with values summarized in the first paragraph above. If your coin is not in this list below, refer to the common date values above.

1913D type 2 *see below: $200 US dollars catalog value in average circulated condition
1913S type 2 *see below: $500 average circulated
1914D: $200 average circulated
1915S: $200
1917D: $100
1917S: $100
1918D: $150
1918S: $100
1919D: $150
1919S: $150
1920D: $150
1920S: $150
1921S: $500
1923S: $150
1924S: $450
1925D: $100
1925S: $100
1926D: $100
1926S: $450

Be sure your coin is not too worn. Only undamaged, average circulated coins achieve the values above. Use our Important Terminology page to properly interpret these values. Coins with damage, such as scratches, stains, cleanings, nicks, gouges and the like, are worth very little.

NEVER CLEAN A COIN. CLEANING RUINS VALUE.

*1913D and 1913S coins must have a type 2 reverse to be really valuable, as shown in the figure.

One must always be careful when buying expensive coins, especially when the price seems 'too good to be true.' There are plenty of coin shysters in the world, and modern manufacturing techniques and the Internet give them fertile ground to snooker unsuspecting collectors.

The overall quality of the surfaces in the fake Buffalo at the left should be a give-away to anyone who has collected for a while. The differences in pattern are very evident in a side-by-side comparison.

Smart collectors build solid working relationships with reliable coin dealers. The only sure-fire way to protect from counterfeits is to buy only from people you trust implicitly. Building trusted relationships takes time, but it is well worth the effort.

CoinQuest thanks Heritage Auctions and US Coin Values Advisor for the photo of the gorgeous 13S nickel to the left. It demonstrates very effectively the difference between real and fake in this instance.
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