Indian Head Buffalo Nickels
Buffalo Nickels had an early design problem. Soon after the Indian Head or Buffalo Nickel went into circulation, it became apparent that the reverse design was problematic; the "FIVE CENTS" inscription, which was on a raised mound at the bottom of the reverse, was one of the highest spots on the coin and thus, wore away very quickly. As a result, the design was modified by Charles Barber during its first year of production. Barber removed the raised mound and lowered the relief of the inscription so that it would not wear away so quickly, along with making other design changes, however, one problem that was not addressed, was the placement of the date. Similarly to the "FIVE CENTS" in the original design, the date was placed in a relief that exposed it to a great deal of wear.
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Grading Buffalo Nickels
G4 Good - Legends and date readable. Horn worn off.
VG7-10 Very Good - A Quarter to Half horn shows.
F12-15 Fine - Two thirds to three quarters of horn shows. Obverse rim intact.
VF20 Very Fine - Full horn shows. Indian's cheekbone worn smooth.
EF40 Extremely Fine - Full horn. Slight wear on Indian's hair ribbon.
AU50 About Uncirculated - Traces of light wear on only the high points of the design. Half of mint luster is present.
MS60 Uncirculated - No trace of wear. Light blemishes.
There are rare buffalo nickels for sale through a great many different online outlets, but none that consistently offers a higher quality of both products and services than we do here at U.S.S.Q. Our Indian Head Buffalo Nickels stock stretches from the very first examples stamped in 1913 to the final units minted in 1938.
When looking at Buffalo Head Nickels for sale, Buffalo Head being another name for the Indian Head coin, you'll be comparing prices of just a couple bucks, as is the case of many 1937-D Bison Nickels, to a 1937-D 3-legged nickel that's priced at well over a thousand dollars. Valuable Buffalo Nickels, like any coin, are valued primarily on rarity and availability. In the early 1900s, nickels were made in Type 1 and Type 2. Check out the differences.
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