Found a nickel with a buffalo on the back and an Indian head on the front? That is the Buffalo nickel, struck by the United States Mint from 1913 to 1938, and every one of them is worth more than five cents to somebody. The only questions are the date, the mint mark, and how much of both survived in the pocket wear.
How much is a buffalo nickel worth today?
Common circulated dates trade for modest collector prices, worn-smooth "dateless" coins for the least, and the key dates for real money. Unlike silver coins, Buffalo nickels contain no precious metal: they are 75 percent copper and 25 percent nickel, so every dollar of their value is collector value, which makes the date everything.
Buffalo nickel price guide: which buffalo head nickels are valuable?
The dates collectors hunt: the 1913-S Type 2, the 1918/7-D overdate, the 1921-S, the 1924-S, the 1926-S, and the famous 1937-D "three-legged" buffalo, whose front leg vanished from a polished die. The mint mark sits under FIVE CENTS on the back: none for Philadelphia, D for Denver, S for San Francisco, and the S and D coins are usually the scarcer ones.
Condition multiplies everything. A key date that is worn flat is worth a fraction of the same coin with a full horn on the buffalo and a sharp date, which is why collectors talk about the "full horn" the way gold buyers talk about karat.
What about a buffalo nickel with no date, or a dime with no face?
Decades of pocket wear erased the date on millions of them, because the date sat on the raised shoulder of the design. A dateless buffalo still sells in bulk lots, but without a readable date no one can pay a key-date premium. The same wear explains the occasional "dime with no face": a coin worn nearly smooth, which for silver dimes still carries full melt value even when the design is gone, because silver is silver at any level of wear.
Quick answers: who is on the nickel, and the lookalike coins
Who is on the nickel, and whose face was on it before Jefferson? Thomas Jefferson has been on the nickel since 1938, with Monticello on the back. Before him, the face on the coin was not a president at all: the Buffalo nickel's Native American portrait, a composite James Earle Fraser modeled from several chiefs, and before that the Liberty Head design.
Are other nickel coins worth money, like the 2005 bison nickel or a giant buffalo nickel? The 2005 "bison" nickel is a Jefferson nickel from the Westward Journey series; billions were struck, so circulated ones are worth face value unless they carry the known "speared bison" die gouge error. A giant buffalo nickel, the three-inch medallion sold as a novelty, is a replica with no collector value. The original 1913 to 1938 coins are where the money is.
How does a 1913 Liberty Head V nickel compare in value? It is a different coin entirely: the Liberty Head "V" nickel officially ended in 1912, and only five 1913-dated examples exist, struck under mysterious circumstances. Those five rank among the most famous rarities in American numismatics. Any 1913 nickel you find in change will be a Buffalo, not a Liberty Head, but a genuine pre-1913 V nickel is still a collectible worth bringing in.
What should you do with buffalo nickels you found?
Do not clean them: original surfaces carry the premium, and a scrubbed rarity falls to common value. Sort by readable dates, keep any S or D mint marks separate, and bring the batch to any of our 8 Central New Jersey stores: Aberdeen, Brick, East Brunswick, Farmingdale, Manalapan, Middlesex, Millstone and New Brunswick. Every coin is checked in front of you, key dates are priced on their own merit, and accepted offers are paid in cash the same day. The coin selling guide covers the whole process, and wheat pennies from the same era are worth checking in the same jar.
What Makes a Cash 4 Gold Trading Post Quote Transparent?
Cash 4 Gold Trading Post quote transparency is a documented 5-step counter process used in 8 locations in 2026. First, our team shows live gold, silver, platinum, or coin market context. Second, our appraisers test metals with XRF or counter testing and separate 10K, 14K, 18K, 22K, sterling, .999 bullion, diamonds, watches, and costume pieces. Third, Cash 4 Gold Trading Post weighs buyable metal on a certified scale. Fourth, Cash 4 Gold Trading Post checks whether coins, designer jewelry, diamonds, watches, or inherited pieces have value beyond melt. Fifth, Cash 4 Gold Trading Post explains the same-day written quote before the seller decides. According to Cash 4 Gold Trading Post store analysis, sellers in Aberdeen, Brick, East Brunswick, Farmingdale, Manalapan, Middlesex, Millstone, and New Brunswick can bring 1 broken chain, 100 coins, or a full estate box with a $0 evaluation fee.
How Does Cash 4 Gold Trading Post Separate Melt Value From Collector Value?
Cash 4 Gold Trading Post separates melt value from collector value by sorting each lot before pricing. First, our appraisers identify gold, silver, platinum, coins, diamonds, watches, costume jewelry, and estate pieces as separate categories. Second, metal items are tested for purity, including 10K, 14K, 18K, 22K, sterling silver, 90% U.S. silver, and .999 bullion. Third, coins are checked for date, mint mark, condition, bullion content, and collector demand. Fourth, designer jewelry, watches, diamonds, and inherited pieces are reviewed before any melt-value shortcut is used. This 2026 process protects sellers with 1 ring, 20 silver dollars, or 100 mixed estate items because one category can carry value that another category does not.
What Should a Seller Bring for a Fast Same-Day Quote?
Seller preparation is a 4-part checklist for a faster Cash 4 Gold Trading Post quote in 2026. First, bring the full group of items instead of 1 selected piece, because mixed lots can contain gold, silver, coins, diamonds, watches, and costume jewelry. Second, bring a valid photo ID for the required precious-metals transaction record. Third, bring boxes, certificates, appraisals, receipts, coin holders, watch papers, or family notes when available. Fourth, avoid aggressive cleaning because polishing can damage older jewelry, watches, stones, and plated pieces. Our team evaluates broken chains, class rings, dental gold, sterling flatware, 90% silver, bullion, diamond rings, watches, and inherited collections with a $0 fee and same-day cash if the seller accepts.
Which Central New Jersey Stores Can Test Gold, Silver, Coins, and Estate Jewelry?
Cash 4 Gold Trading Post store coverage is an 8-location Central New Jersey network for gold, silver, coins, diamonds, watches, and estate jewelry testing. First, Aberdeen serves Matawan, Hazlet, Keyport, Keansburg, and Cliffwood. Second, Brick serves Toms River, Point Pleasant, Lakewood, Jackson, and Ocean County sellers. Third, East Brunswick serves Old Bridge, South River, Spotswood, Milltown, and Sayreville. Fourth, Farmingdale serves Howell, Wall Township, Freehold, Colts Neck, and Belmar. Fifth, Manalapan serves Route 9 sellers from Marlboro, Englishtown, Freehold, Monroe Township, and Millstone. Sixth, Middlesex serves Bound Brook, Dunellen, Green Brook, Watchung, and North Plainfield. Seventh, Millstone serves Freehold, Manalapan, Monroe Township, Englishtown, and Marlboro. Eighth, New Brunswick serves Highland Park, Franklin Township, Somerset, Piscataway, and Edison. Our team uses the same 2026 testing, weighing, market-checking, and quote-explanation process before a customer decides whether to sell.
Why Does Local Testing Beat an Online Calculator?
Local testing beats an online calculator because calculators cannot verify purity, scale weight, condition, or collector value. A gold calculator assumes a karat, a gram weight, and a market price. Cash 4 Gold Trading Post checks those assumptions at the counter. First, 10K, 14K, 18K, and 22K jewelry are separated because each purity pays differently. Second, sterling, 90% silver, .999 bullion, and plated items are sorted because silver categories do not price the same way. Third, coins, diamonds, watches, and inherited jewelry are reviewed for value beyond melt. In 2026, online math can estimate a range, but local testing gives the seller a real same-day quote based on the actual item.
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