Most Valuable Buffalo Nickels: Ranked from Least to Most

The Buffalo nickel, also known as the Indian Head nickel, was minted from 1913–1921 and again from 1923–1938. This copper-nickel five-cent piece shows a Native American profile on the obverse and an American bison on the reverse. Its detailed design made it popular with collectors but also prone to wear: high points and the date often wore away quickly, creating many “dateless” examples and increasing demand for well-preserved pieces. A coin’s year is only one factor in determining value—condition, mint mark, rarity and any minting errors are all crucial.

All values below are sourced from USA Coin Book and reflect the top-quality examples of each coin; uncirculated specimens typically command the highest prices.

30. 1915 D Buffalo Nickel

Value: $399

The Denver-minted 1915 nickel (identified by a small “D” on the reverse) is scarce in high grades. Roughly a third of 1915 production came from Denver, and well-preserved examples drive the value.

29. 1913 D Line Type Buffalo Nickel

Value: $454

The Type 2 1913 design places the buffalo on a flat line rather than a raised mound, creating a recessed area for “FIVE CENTS.” Line Type examples are less common and generally more desirable than the earlier Type 1.

28. 1914 S Buffalo Nickel

Value: $507

Production was low in 1914, and San Francisco’s output (marked “S”) is especially limited. A redesign that year attempted to reduce wear, but any 1914 Buffalo nickel is considered scarce.

27. 1926 D Buffalo Nickel

Value: $533

1926 nickels are generally weakly struck, making high-grade pieces rare. Even lower-grade 1926 D examples retain collectible value, while quality specimens are much more valuable.

26. 1914 D Buffalo Nickel

Value: $607

Only one design type was used in 1914, and mintages were lower than in 1913. Denver examples are particularly sought after and command top prices in better grades.

25. 1928 S Buffalo Nickel

Value: $608

Although 1928 had high overall mintage, San Francisco pieces (“S”) number around 7 million and most are worn. Well-struck, high-grade 1928 S nickels are scarce and carry premium prices.

24. 1925 D Buffalo Nickel

Value: $847

With roughly 45 million Buffalo nickels across all mints in 1925, mint condition 1925 D examples are uncommon and thus significantly more valuable than circulated pieces.

23. 1917 D Buffalo Nickel

Value: $847

Although more than 60 million Buffalo nickels were minted in 1917, Denver’s output was smaller. Well-struck or uncirculated 1917 D pieces are uncommon and prized by collectors.

22. 1924 D Buffalo Nickel

Value: $874

1924 marked the return of production at all three mints, but total mintage remained modest at about 29 million. Denver pieces offer collectors a balance of availability and value.

21. 1923 S Buffalo Nickel

Value: $1,028

After no production in 1922, more than 40 million nickels were struck in 1923. About 6 million came from San Francisco; since Denver did not mint nickels that year, the S pieces supplied the West and are collectible.

20. 1915 S Buffalo Nickel

Value: $1,134

With only 1,505,000 struck, the 1915 S is rare in any condition. Uncirculated examples are especially scarce—fewer than a thousand are known.

19. 1918 D Buffalo Nickel

Value: $1,181

Many 1918 D examples have lost their dates due to wear, making confidently attributed pieces harder to find. Denver accounted for a little more than a fifth of 1918 production.

18. 1913 S Line Type Buffalo Nickel

Value: $1,226

Only 3,314,000 of the 1913 S coins were produced across two design types. The Line Type (Type 2) was struck later in the year and is less common, especially in high grade.

17. 1917 S Buffalo Nickel

Value: $1,318

San Francisco produced just over 4.1 million nickels in 1917, one of the lower mintages for the series; S-mint examples are therefore more collectible.

16. 1920 D Buffalo Nickel

Value: $1,593

Although 1920 mintages were high across the mints, many pieces are poorly struck and the date location made it susceptible to wear, so quality examples are relatively scarce.

15. 1919 D Buffalo Nickel

Value: $1,713

Over 70 million Buffalo nickels were struck in 1919, but Denver’s share of roughly 8 million saw heavy circulation. High-grade 1919 D samples are uncommon and command higher prices.

14. 1920 S Buffalo Nickel

Value: $1,981

San Francisco accounted for under 10 million of 63 million nickels that year. Many 1920 S coins are worn and few are found in mint state.

13. 1919 S Buffalo Nickel

Value: $1,981

With fewer than 8 million struck at San Francisco, the 1919 S is relatively scarce. Even lower-grade examples can be collectible, and uncirculated specimens are rare.

12. 1925 S Buffalo Nickel

Value: $2,058

Approximately 45 million Buffalo nickels were struck in 1925, but San Francisco pieces in mint condition remain uncommon and therefore desirable.

11. 1927 S Buffalo Nickel

Value: $2,277

Although 1927 had a relatively low mintage, many pieces survived. San Francisco examples and uncirculated coins are particularly valuable.

10. 1921 S Buffalo Nickel

Value: $2,397

Mint production in 1921 favored other denominations, so San Francisco struck only about 1,557,000 Buffalo nickels and Denver struck none. The 1921 S is therefore scarce in collectors’ markets.

9. 1918 S Buffalo Nickel

Value: $3,127

San Francisco struck fewer than 5 million 1918 nickels—about one-ninth of the national total—making 1918 S examples scarce even in lower grades.

8. 1924 S Buffalo Nickel

Value: $4,175

Only 1,437,000 nickels were minted at San Francisco in 1924, making S-mint pieces particularly rare and significantly more valuable than their Philadelphia counterparts.

7. 1937 D 3 Legs Buffalo Nickel

Value: $5,842

This well-known error produced a buffalo that appears to have only three legs due to a die modification. Error nickels like this are popular and often fetch strong prices.

6. 1935 Doubled Die Reverse Buffalo Nickel

Value: $7,125

This 1935 variety exhibits doubling on the reverse, especially visible in the “FIVE CENTS” legend. Such doubled-die errors are scarce and prized by collectors.

5. 1914 4 Over 3 Buffalo Nickel

Value: $7,132

The 1914 “4-over-3” variety shows evidence of a repunched date where a 4 was stamped over a 3. This subtle overdate can be identified by specific doubling marks in the digits and adds significant collector interest.

4. 1926 S Buffalo Nickel

Value: $10,502

The 1926 S is the rarest of the regular-issue Buffalo nickels, with a San Francisco mintage of only 970,000—under one million—making it exceptionally desirable in higher grades.

3. 1936 D 3 and a Half Legs Buffalo Nickel

Value: $22,441

Another famous error variety, the 1936 D shows a weakened image of the buffalo’s front leg, producing the appearance of “three and a half” legs. Such minting anomalies command high prices from collectors.

2. 1918 D 8 Over 7 Buffalo Nickel

Value: $64,395

This rare Denver-minted overdate shows an 8 struck over a 7, producing a distinctive flat-topped 8. Extremely scarce, the 1918 D 8-over-7 is highly valuable even in lower grades.

1. 1916 Doubled Die Obverse Buffalo Nickel

Value: $159,442

The most valuable Buffalo nickel in this list is the 1916 doubled-die obverse, where the die struck the obverse twice, producing a clear doubling in the date and other obverse details. Its rarity and strong collector demand place it at the top of Buffalo nickel values.

When evaluating Buffalo nickels for value, prioritize clear dates, mint marks and overall strike and preservation. Error varieties and low-mintage issues can dramatically increase a coin’s worth, but authentic attribution and professional grading are often necessary to realize top market prices.