---
title: "Buffalo Nickel Value: Which 1913 to 1938 Nickels Are Worth Money"
description: "Most Buffalo nickels are worth a dollar or two. The key dates, the 1937-D three legged buffalo and the 1918/7-D overdate are worth hundreds to thousands."
canonical: https://dimehound.app/coins/buffalo-nickel-value/
author: Mike Moore
published: 2026-10-08
modified: 2026-10-08
values_checked: Oct 8, 2026
---

# Buffalo Nickel Value: Which 1913 to 1938 Nickels Are Worth Money

By Mike Moore. Published Oct 8, 2026. Updated Oct 8, 2026. Canonical page: https://dimehound.app/coins/buffalo-nickel-value/

Common Buffalo nickels from the 1920s and 1930s are worth about $1.50 to $3 in Good condition. Key dates are worth far more: the 1937-D three legged buffalo is about $559 in Good and $2,258 uncirculated, and the 1918/7-D overdate starts near $1,000. The date wears off easily, and dateless coins are worth much less.

- **Years:** 1913 to 1938. Indian head on the front, American bison on the back.
- **Metal:** 75% copper, 25% nickel. No silver.
- **Mint mark:** Back of the coin, below FIVE CENTS. No mark means Philadelphia.

## Value by grade

**Buffalo nickel retail values by grade**

| Coin | G4 | VF20 | EF40 | MS60 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Common 1930s dates (1936, 1937) | $1.56 | $2.50 | $3.62 | $30 |
| 1913-S Type 2 | $289 | $556 | $612 | $998 |
| 1918/7-D overdate | $998 | $4,248 | $10,607 | $42,851 |
| 1921-S | $92 | $468 | $1,187 | $2,172 |
| 1926-S | $38 | $281 | $998 | $5,624 |
| 1936-D 3 and a half legs | $527 | $1,879 | $3,634 | $15,254 |
| 1937-D 3 legs | $559 | $721 | $895 | $2,258 |

Retail values from USA Coin Book. Values checked Oct 8, 2026.

## What to look for

- Find the date on the Indian's shoulder. If it is worn flat, the coin is a dateless Buffalo.
- Check the mint mark under FIVE CENTS on the back. D and S coins from the 1910s and 1920s are often the better ones.
- On a 1937-D, look at the bison's front legs. The three legged variety is missing the front right leg, with only a faint hoof left.

## Fakes and lookalikes

- Altered 1937-D coins with a leg tooled off are common. A real three legged coin has a rough, pitted rear leg, a line of small raised dots under the belly, and no tool marks where the missing leg would be.
- Date restoration chemicals can bring out a faint date, but they leave a burn mark and collectors pay much less for treated coins.
- Buy key dates certified by PCGS or NGC.

## Find my keepers

Dime Hound is a coin scanner for iPhone and Android. Join the waitlist at https://dimehound.app/coins/buffalo-nickel-value/#keepers and we'll email you once, the day it launches.

## FAQ

### How much is a Buffalo nickel worth?

Common dates run about $1.50 to $3 in Good. Key dates and varieties are worth hundreds or more.

### Is a Buffalo nickel with no date worth anything?

A little. Dateless coins sell for far less than dated ones because the date and mint cannot be confirmed.

### What is the most valuable Buffalo nickel?

Among coins you might find, the 1918/7-D overdate, the 1916 doubled die and the 1936-D and 1937-D leg varieties.

## Related coins

- [War Nickel Value: Which 1942 to 1945 Nickels Are Silver](https://dimehound.app/coins/war-nickel-value/)
- [2005-D Speared Bison Nickel Value: What Yours Is Worth](https://dimehound.app/coins/2005-speared-bison-nickel-value/)
- [Wheat Penny Value: Which 1909 to 1958 Pennies Are Worth Money](https://dimehound.app/coins/wheat-penny-value/)
- [1921 Morgan Silver Dollar Value: What Yours Is Worth](https://dimehound.app/coins/1921-morgan-silver-dollar-value/)
- [1909-S VDB Penny Value: What the Key Date Is Worth](https://dimehound.app/coins/1909-s-vdb-penny-value/)

## Sources

1. [USA Coin Book, Buffalo nickel values](https://www.usacoinbook.com/coins/nickels/buffalo/)
2. [PCGS CoinFacts, 1937-D 5C 3 Legs](https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1937-d-5c-3-legs/3982)
3. [PCGS, 1937-D three legged Buffalo nickel](https://www.pcgs.com/news/1937-d-3-legged-buffalo-nickel-capturing-attention)

Values are retail estimates or recorded sale prices from the sources above, checked Oct 8, 2026. What a dealer pays you is usually less than retail.