The Buffalo Nickel (sometimes called the Indian Head Nickel) is a U.S. five-cent coin designed by sculptor James Earle Fraser in 1912. It was part of the Mint’s campaign to beautify American coinage. It featured a realistic portrait of a Native American on one side and an image of a buffalo on the other. It was produced at the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco Mints from 1913 to 1938.
Submitted by James Earle Fraser, a sculptor who had worked as an assistant to Saint Gaudens. Fraser’s designs had originally been for a one-cent piece. However, with Andrew’s support (and the support of the next Mint Director, George Roberts), the design was adapted in 1912 to a five-cent coin that became the Buffalo Nickel.
The first Buffalo Nickels were struck on February 22, 1913. They were unofficially introduced into limited circulation at the groundbreaking ceremony for the National American Indian Memorial in Staten Island, New York. Forty new nickels were sent to the ceremony to be distributed by President Taft to the attending Native American chiefs. (Despite the groundbreaking ceremony, the National American Indian Memorial was never built.)
Shipping / Handling Cost | Cost For Each Additional Item | Service |
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$2.50 | $0.00 | USPS Ground Advantage (2 to 5 business days) |