The 1937-D Buffalo Nickel

Through its storied history, the US Mint has produced a wide variety of coins, some of which are valuable to collectors, others that aren’t. One of the more attractive collections is the 1937-D Buffalo Nickel, which was produced during the early parts of the 20th century. Though these coins were produced so long ago, they are still quite popular today among collectors.

Variations in the 1937-D Buffalo Nickel

A well-known variety in the series is the 1937–D "three-legged" nickel, on which one of the buffalo's legs is missing. It’s believed this variety was caused by a pressman at the Denver Mint, who in seeking to remove marks from a reverse die, accidentally removed or greatly weakened one of the animal's legs. By the time Mint inspectors discovered and condemned the die, thousands of pieces had been struck and mixed with other coins. Before the mint realized the error a few thousand had been released into circulation.

1937-D Buffalo Nickel Values

Finding a 1937-D Buffalo nickel in great condition is important to many collectors. Like many older coins, the value is tied to the condition of the coin. Stay on the lookout for clear edges on the design, and a clear engraving of the date, mint mark, and cent-value. Highly circulated coins go for, on average, around one dollar - making this an affordable coin to kick off a collection. However, because these coins are so old, so few of them have survived in excellent condition, and a mint condition coin is valued up to thirty-five dollars. An excellent condition 3 Leg Buffalo nickel could be worth hundreds of dollars. 

 

Type of coin: Nickel

Year: 1937

Mint Mark: Denver

Total mintage: 17,826,000

Metal content: 75% Copper, 25% Nickel

Face value: Five Cents

Weight: 5 grams

Edge: Plain

Designer: James Earle Fraser

Diameter: 21.2 millimeters