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Buffalo nickel
James Earle Fraser's Native American chief and bison.
What our records show
- For 1913–1938, the years this site covers for this design, our table has production figures for 23 of 26 years.
- The Mint's coinage record shows none struck in 1922, 1932–1933.
- Facilities in the record, with the mark their coins carried: Philadelphia: no mint mark (1913–1921, 1923–1930, 1934–1938); Denver: D (1913–1920, 1924–1929, 1934–1938); San Francisco: S (1913–1921, 1923–1931, 1935–1938).
- What the figures count: coins struck each calendar year, proofs included (the Mint's 1792-1965 pamphlet).
- 1938: the Mint's figure covers more than one design. Those rows are shaded.
“From 1913 to 1938, the Mint produced the iconic “Buffalo” nickel, designed by James Earle Fraser.”
Metal, weight and size, where a Mint table dates it
| Coin years | Specification and source |
|---|---|
| 1913–1938 | Metal: 75% copper, 25% nickel · Weight: 5.00 g (our conversion from the Mint's standard weight of 77.16 grains) Source: U.S. Mint, Domestic and Foreign Coins Manufactured by Mints of the United States, 1792-1965, PDF p. 13 (printed p. 9), table C6: 77.16 grains. Covers the standard weight and composition in the Mint's minor-coinage table, which lists coinage to Dec. 31, 1965 (pamphlet table C6). |
Each row covers only the coin years its source establishes. Proof and collector versions can differ and aren't covered.
How many were made
| Year | Philadelphia no mint mark | Denver D | San Francisco S | What the figure counts, and notes | Source (see list below) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | 60,852,239 | 9,493,000 | 3,314,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 2, 3 |
| 1914 | 20,665,738 | 3,912,000 | 3,470,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 2, 3 |
| 1915 | 20,987,270 | 7,569,500 | 1,505,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 2, 3 |
| 1916 | 63,498,066 | 13,333,000 | 11,860,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 2, 3 |
| 1917 | 51,424,029 | 9,910,800 | 4,193,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 2, 3 |
| 1918 | 32,086,314 | 8,362,000 | 4,882,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 2, 3 |
| 1919 | 60,868,000 | 8,006,000 | 7,521,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 2, 3 |
| 1920 | 63,093,000 | 9,418,000 | 9,689,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 2, 3 |
| 1921 | 10,663,000 | none in this row's coverage | 1,557,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) – : the Mint's coinage record shows none struck at that facility that year. | 1, 3 |
| 1922 | none in this row's coverage | none in this row's coverage | none in this row's coverage | The Mint's coinage record shows none struck at any mint that year. | 4 |
| 1923 | 35,715,000 | none in this row's coverage | 6,142,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) – : the Mint's coinage record shows none struck at that facility that year. | 1, 3 |
| 1924 | 21,620,000 | 5,258,000 | 1,437,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 2, 3 |
| 1925 | 35,565,100 | 4,450,000 | 6,256,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 2, 3 |
| 1926 | 44,693,000 | 5,638,000 | 970,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 2, 3 |
| 1927 | 37,981,000 | 5,730,000 | 3,430,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 2, 3 |
| 1928 | 23,411,000 | 6,436,000 | 6,936,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 2, 3 |
| 1929 | 36,446,000 | 8,370,000 | 7,754,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 2, 3 |
| 1930 | 22,849,000 | none in this row's coverage | 5,435,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) – : the Mint's coinage record shows none struck at that facility that year. | 1, 3 |
| 1931 | none in this row's coverage | none in this row's coverage | 1,200,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) – : the Mint's coinage record shows none struck at that facility that year. | 3 |
| 1932 | none in this row's coverage | none in this row's coverage | none in this row's coverage | The Mint's coinage record shows none struck at any mint that year. | 4 |
| 1933 | none in this row's coverage | none in this row's coverage | none in this row's coverage | The Mint's coinage record shows none struck at any mint that year. | 4 |
| 1934 | 20,213,003 | 7,480,000 | none in this row's coverage | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) – : the Mint's coinage record shows none struck at that facility that year. | 1, 2 |
| 1935 | 58,264,000 | 12,092,000 | 10,300,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 2, 3 |
| 1936 | 119,001,420 | 24,814,000 | 14,930,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 2, 3 |
| 1937 | 79,485,769 | 17,826,000 | 5,635,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 2, 3 |
| 1938 | 19,515,365 | 12,396,000 | 4,105,000 | All nickel designs of 1938 combined; a figure for this design alone isn't available here. struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 2, 3 |
- Mint pamphlet 1792-1965, PDF pp. 48 and 50 (printed pp. 44 and 46), table C21
- Mint pamphlet 1792-1965, PDF p. 56 (printed p. 52), table C29
- Mint pamphlet 1792-1965, PDF p. 63 (printed p. 59), table C35
- Mint pamphlet 1792-1965, branch and Philadelphia tables (PDF pp. 42-66)
Where the mint mark is
The Mint pages we used don't say where this design carries its mint mark, so we don't give a location.
Sources
- Domestic and Foreign Coins Manufactured by Mints of the United States, 1792-1965. Bureau of the Mint, U.S. Treasury Department (Eva Adams, Director), hosted by FRASER, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
- Nickel (U.S. Mint, Circulating Coins). United States Mint (archived copy).
Figures and quotes checked against their sources on October 12, 2026.