A 2005 nickel with a buffalo is a Jefferson nickel struck in the first half of 2005 with an American bison on the reverse. Collectors call it the Westward Journey bison nickel. It is not the old Buffalo nickel made from 1913 to 1938.
The Mint made hundreds of millions of them. A worn one from a jar or a cash drawer is almost always worth face value.
What a 2005 nickel with a buffalo is
In 2004 and 2005 the United States Mint redesigned the nickel for the 200th anniversary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The 2005 coins use a one-year portrait of Thomas Jefferson facing forward, not the old profile.
The word "Liberty" comes from Jefferson's own handwriting. The reverse people mean when they search "2005 nickel with buffalo" is the American bison designed by Jamie Franki.
That bison is why the coin gets mixed up with the classic Buffalo nickel. Same animal. Different coin.
How to confirm you have one
Look at the date, the reverse, and the mint mark.
First, read the date. It has to say 2005. A bison with a date from 1913 through 1938 is the older series.
Second, turn the coin over. You should see a standing bison, not Monticello and not a stretch of coastline. Monticello came back in 2006.
Third, look under the word "Liberty" on the front. That is where the 2005 mint mark sits: P for Philadelphia, D for Denver, or S for a San Francisco proof.
The coin is the size of a regular nickel and weighs 5.00 grams. If it is much lighter, much heavier, or looks gold, you are holding something else.
How it differs from the old buffalo nickel
The original Buffalo nickel, also called the Indian Head nickel, ran from 1913 through 1938. It has a Native American portrait on the front and a bison on the back. Jefferson is not on it.
A 2005 nickel with a buffalo still has Jefferson, the date 2005, and the usual Jefferson nickel specs. The metal is 75 percent copper and 25 percent nickel, the same alloy used on ordinary nickels today.
If the date is gone or the portrait looks like an Indian, you may have the older series. Our Buffalo nickel value guide covers those 1913 to 1938 dates.
The two 2005 nickels
2005 had two reverse designs, not one.
The bison reverse was used in the first part of the year. Later in 2005 the reverse switched to a Pacific coastline and the line "Ocean in view! O! The Joy!"
If your 2005 nickel has water and a quote instead of a bison, it is the second 2005 design. It is still a Westward Journey nickel. It is not a buffalo nickel.
Mint marks and how many bison nickels were made
On the 2005 coins the mint mark sits on the front, under "Liberty." Older Jefferson nickels carried it beside the date, so people miss it on these.
| 2005 bison nickel | Mint | How many were made |
|---|---|---|
| 2005-P | Philadelphia | 448,320,000 |
| 2005-D | Denver | 487,680,000 |
| 2005-S proof | San Francisco, proof sets only | 3,344,679 |
Philadelphia made 448 million bison nickels. Denver made even more. That is why a circulated 2005 nickel with a buffalo is common.
An S coin is a proof from a collector set, not a coin that went into change. If yours has a P, the 2005 buffalo nickel P page covers that mint in more detail.
Is a 2005 buffalo nickel worth anything?
Most of them are worth face value. The date is modern, the mintage is huge, and there is no silver in the coin.
Collector interest shows up in a few cases:
| What you have | What that usually means |
|---|---|
| A worn bison nickel from change | Face value |
| An uncirculated coin with original luster and a sharp strike | Some collector demand |
| A satin finish coin from a 2005 uncirculated Mint set | Collected as its own finish |
| A genuine mint error | Priced coin by coin |
Keep a Mint set coin in its packaging. Do not clean a 2005 nickel. Cleaning leaves hairline scratches and strips the original surface, which is the only thing that can lift a common date.
We do not print a dollar price on this page. Live metal numbers belong on the calculators, and this nickel is not a melt coin.
The Speared Bison error
The error people ask about is the Speared Bison. A die gouge runs through the animal as if a spear went through it.
That variety is a 2005-D coin. It has a D mint mark. A Philadelphia coin cannot be that variety.
A scratch or a scrape across the bison on a P coin is almost always damage after the coin left the Mint. Damage lowers interest. It does not create an error.
Real mint errors still happen on modern nickels, including off-center strikes and clipped planchets. Those are judged in hand. Leave the coin alone until someone looks at it.
Is the 2005 buffalo nickel silver or gold?
No. The 2005 bison nickel is 75 percent copper and 25 percent nickel. That is the same alloy as a current Jefferson nickel.
It is not the American Gold Buffalo. Those are 24 karat bullion coins the Mint started in 2006, and they are a different denomination. A 2005 five-cent piece is not gold.
It is also not the 2001 American Buffalo commemorative dollar. That one is a silver dollar, not a nickel.
If the other coins in the same jar are actual silver, the silver coin melt calculator is the right tool for the metal floor. The 2005 bison nickel will not show up there as silver, because it has none.
What to do with a 2005 nickel with a buffalo
Sort the 2005 bison nickels away from older Buffalo nickels and from any silver in the same mix. The old dates and the silver are the ones that can carry a premium.
Bring the batch as it is. Cash 4 Gold Trading Post buys coins outright. We do not lend against them and we do not hold them as collateral.
Our coin buying page explains how we check collector value before metal value. If you want a 2005 bison nickel looked at in person, stop into a Cash 4 Gold Trading Post location.
Sources checked
Research was checked on September 29, 2026 against the United States Mint's archived 2005 Westward Journey nickel designs page, Mint production figures for the 2005 bison nickel, the PCGS CoinFacts entry for the 2005-P bison nickel, and American Numismatic Association notes on what drives coin value and cleaned coins.
Questions people ask
What is a 2005 nickel with a buffalo?
It is a Jefferson nickel struck in the first half of 2005 with an American bison on the reverse, part of the Westward Journey series. It is not the original Buffalo nickel made from 1913 to 1938. The portrait is Jefferson facing forward, and the mint mark sits under the word Liberty.
Is a 2005 buffalo nickel rare?
No. Philadelphia struck 448,320,000 bison nickels and Denver struck 487,680,000, so a circulated 2005 nickel with a buffalo is common and worth face value. The coins collectors look at more closely are uncirculated pieces, satin finish Mint set coins, and genuine mint errors.
Is a 2005 buffalo nickel made of silver?
No. It is 75 percent copper and 25 percent nickel, the same alloy as a regular Jefferson nickel. It is not the 2001 Buffalo commemorative silver dollar and it is not the American Gold Buffalo bullion coin.
What is the Speared Bison error on a 2005 nickel?
The Speared Bison is a 2005-D variety with a die gouge through the bison. It has a D mint mark from Denver, so a Philadelphia coin cannot be one. A line across the bison on a P coin is usually damage, which lowers interest rather than raising it.
Should I clean a 2005 nickel with a buffalo before selling it?
No. Cleaning leaves fine scratches and strips the original surface. On a common modern date, that original surface is the only thing that can make an uncirculated coin worth more than face value. Leave it as it is.
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