The first 1913 Buffalo Nickel coins to be distributed were given out on February 22nd, 1913, at the groundbreaking of the National American Indian Memorial at Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island, New York. President Taft led the ceremony, for which the U.S. Mint had sent forty new nickels to be passed out to the various Native American Chiefs who participated in the groundbreaking. Unfortunately, the memorial was never built - and is now an abutment for the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge that connects Staten Island and Brooklyn.
Issues at the Mint
Charles Barber, Head Engraver of the U.S. Mint, began keeping track of how quickly the Buffalo nickel die casts were expended, and he found that they were breaking three times as fast as the previous Liberty nickel. His department was unable to produce new dies quickly enough to meet demand, which is when the second variety of the Buffalo nickel came to fruition. Barber contacted sculptor James Eames Fraser, and they agreed to increase the size of the Five Cent text, as well as change the hill the buffalo was standing on to flat ground. This made it harder for the denomination to wear away over time.
1913-D Buffalo Nickel (Variety II) Values
Variety II 1913-D Buffalo nickels are an exciting and rare find for any coin collector. This coin has tremendous value due to the extremely limited amount in circulation. With a base value of over a hundred dollars, the value of the coin is tied directly to its condition - with uncirculated 1913-D Buffalo nickels going for up to three hundred dollars. This is an exciting and important coin for any collector.
Type of coin: Nickel
Year: 1913
Mint Mark: Denver
Total mintage: 4,156,000
Metal content: 75% Copper, 25% Nickel
Face value: Five Cents
Weight: 5 grams
Edge: Plain
Designer: James Earle Fraser
Diameter: 21.2 millimeters