U.S. COIN REFERENCE · Buffalo nickel
Buffalo nickels: the mound, the date, and the missing detail
The first reverse was redesigned to protect its denomination from wear.
By SalarsNet · Reviewed October 5, 2026
The two types of 1913
Type I places FIVE CENTS on raised ground beneath the bison. Type II places the denomination in a recess. Both occur in 1913, so the reverse must accompany the date. The portrait and bison identify the family; the mound and inscription identify the subtype for a collection or comparison.
Type references: PCGS Buffalo Nickel ↗
An unreadable date stays unreadable
Look at the date on the shoulder, the hair and cheek, and the bison’s shoulder and horn. A worn date is common enough to be a practical identification problem. Do not restore it with acid or guess a scarce year from an indistinct digit. Record any existing date-restoration evidence because it changes how the coin should be described and compared.
Type references: PCGS Buffalo Nickel ↗
Proof claims and removed design features
Early matte proofs need the proper strike diagnostics, since some circulation strikes can resemble them. A missing leg or weak feature deserves a close-up and a matching issue reference before a named error attribution. Compare the exact date, mint, mound type, and surface treatment; dateless examples need dateless comparisons.
Type references: PCGS Buffalo Nickel ↗
Selected reviewed issue records
These catalog standards describe the named issue, not a measured specimen. The selected records below do not cover every date, mint, strike, or die variety. Reported production is labeled separately from established mintage. Unknown standards and mintage remain visible; survival estimates and certified populations are separate research questions.
No issue-level specification or mintage records are published for this category yet. Verify the exact date, mint, strike, metal, and subtype in its reference before using a numerical standard.
References and review
Reference reviewed October 5, 2026. Historical facts and catalog standards need to match the exact issue; price comparisons should be researched at the time of valuation.