1937 (D) Buffalo Nickel

Coin Details

Auction Record

$35,250 MS68 03-06-2015 Stack's Bowers

Description

A nickel from the Denver Mint, the 1937 (D) Buffalo Nickel belongs to the Buffalo Nickels 1913-1938 series. The U.S. Mint produced 17.8 million examples, making this ranked 2nd of 4 mint variants by mintage, with 15% of production. The obverse features a composite Native American portrait combining features of three real tribal chiefs — Iron Tail (Lakota), Two Moons (Cheyenne), and John Big Tree (Seneca) and the reverse displays an American bison (often called Black Diamond after the famous bison at the Bronx Zoo) standing on a mound. The 1937-D "Three-Legged Buffalo" error, caused by excessive die polishing, is one of the most iconic U.S. coin errors. Also the final year of the series. Denver's mint evolved from a frontier assay office into one of the nation's primary coin production facilities, opening in 1906. Estimated market value ranges from $559 to $5.2K depending on grade and condition. Struck in 75% copper, 25% nickel, weighing 5 grams, 21.2 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. Cataloged as PCGS #3981.