The 1916 Buffalo Nickel is one of the more modern Nickels produced by the US Mint, but is considered an early-series coin. This is still a treasure for coin collectors everywhere, even with the high minting numbers. Because they were minted over a century ago, not many of these coins still exist. The 1916 Buffalo nickel is also noted for a small number of coins with a double-die mistake on the 1916, where the numbers are slightly duplicated.
Minting Mistakes
In some 1916 Buffalo nickels, the obverse features a double-stamped ‘1916.’ This double-die mistake is incredibly rare, with very few coins circulating. Exact mintage numbers of this mistake are not known, but it is estimated that only two-hundred and fifty of these double die coins exist today. The mistake wasn’t even caught until decades later - so almost all of these coins have been highly circulated. Only ten of these coins have been found in excellent to near mint condition.
1916 Buffalo Nickel Values
With incredibly high mintage numbers that wouldn’t be topped until the 1930s, this coin is a great, affordable coin to add to your collection. The average 1916 Buffalo nickel is valued at around six dollars, while mint condition 1916 Buffalo nickels are worth up to fifty dollars. However, the double-die 1916 Buffalo nickel is worth a few thousand dollars on average, and the highest-valued, highest-quality coin sold at auction in 2009 for almost two-hundred thousand dollars. Any collector who finds one of these double-die 1916 nickels would be incredibly lucky.
Type of coin: Nickel
Year: 1916
Mint Mark: No mint mark
Total mintage: 63,497,466
Metal content: 75% Copper, 25% Nickel
Face value: Five Cents
Weight: 5 grams
Edge: Plain
Designer: James Earle Fraser
Diameter: 21.2 millimeters