No date Buffalo Nickel Coin value lookup

The No Date Buffalo nickel coin value depends on various factors because it is not about pieces minted in a particular year but those that spent a long period in use. So, the date existed after being released into circulation but disappeared at one moment as a result of excessive handling.

In other words, any Indian Head nickel minted from 1913 as the first production year to 1938, when the last pieces appeared, can come with a worn-out date. Interestingly, many collectors find these coins desirable despite their poor condition and happily add them to their collections.

Have you ever heard about No Date Buffalo nickels? These atypical American coins are nothing special regarding minting, given that they were originally dated. However, the date struck on a raised Indian shoulder design part and worn off over time.

In other words, they were neither rare errors nor one-of-a-kind variations but worn-out pieces. The problem was in James Fraser's idea to create a nickel with too prominent design parts and add the date next to the highest coin surface relief.

This flaw in the design appearance caused it to disappear quickly during everyday use. It would be logical to assume that such coins are worthless, but something strange happened with these authentic nickels.

Some numismatists like them the way they are. Moreover, there are even admirers who exclusively collect pieces without a visible date on the obverse. Fortunately for them, millions of such undated coins are still in circulation, representing an inexhaustible source of this coinage type.

Interestingly, the value of No Date Buffalo nickels has increased in the last few decades. For years, people spent these coins in everyday circulation, unaware they were without the date. Basically, no one cared to determine their value.

Then, their prices increased to about $0.20, and they quickly became collectibles. Besides, many people use these lovely coins as souvenirs or materials for handicrafts. Nowadays, you can find them for approximately $0.50 to $1 and use them to design unique jewelry, decorations, or men's shirt buttons.

If you’re not sure about your nickel value, you can use Coin Value Lookup Tool to get the exact value and deep history behind it, it’s a team of coin-collecting enthusiasts who have created this site as a free resource for people looking to identify and value their coins.

Buffalo nickels with a partial date

Another option is coins with a partial date. They typically have the last two digits recognizable above the tiny letter F, signifying the designer's initial. In this case, you can effortlessly determine such a coin's significance and specify whether it is a key date or not.

On the other hand, recognizing only the first two numbers (19) means nothing because all these coins were minted in the first half of the 20th century.

This unusual sculptural art form appeared when some hobo artists modified No Date Buffalo nickels and created miniature bas-reliefs on their surfaces. Even though they used all small-denomination American coins, nickels were particularly favored because of their size, softness, and thickness, which were perfect for this purpose.

Besides, the sizable Indian head and decorative American bison were unique enough to become an inexhaustible source of inspiration. They allowed artists to get the final result with finer details, while coarser features of the male head provided more space for altering than Lady Liberty.

This type of art was trendy from the 1930s to the 1960s. Unfortunately, many artists gave up hobo nickels because these coins mostly disappeared from everyday circulation in the 1970s.

However, modern hobo nickels appeared in the early 1980s, and contemporary prolific carvers now make fewer pieces of top-notch artistic quality. Experts estimate that approximately 100,000 to 200,000 classic hobo nickels made from 1913 to 1980 still exist.

The Buffalo nickels are highly collectible standard five-cent American coins made of three-quarters copper, while the remaining one-quarter is nickel. They have a face value of five cents, plain edge, round shape, and a surprising design for the first half of the 20th century.

Depending on the measurement system you use, new pieces weigh 0.176 ounces (5 grams) and have a diameter of 0.835 inches, which equals 21.21 millimeters. Their thickness is always 0.077 inches or 1.52 millimeters before being released into circulation.

Be aware that these measures are correct only for newly minted coins. In other words, the No Date Buffalo nickels deviate from the standard depending on the time spent in circulation.

You can see the Native American profile on the obverse, but it was not based on only one man. The designer combined the faces of three Indian chiefs to get this image. The only inscriptions beside this sizable profile are the date, the designer's F initial, and a more or less readable LIBERTY.

Expectedly, the Buffalo nickels without the date are worn out, making it impossible to recognize the fine details of the original design. Besides, the date is entirely gone, leaving the blank space instead.

Engraver Fraser depicted a standing American bison on the reverse. The entire composition also includes the full state name, Latin saying, denomination, and mint mark in some cases.

No Date Buffalo Nickel Coin Recovering

In some cases, you can glimpsethe dateif it is not entirely worn out and erased. Try to slowly tilt the coin under an angle to the intense light source and check whether there is at least an outline of the numbers. However, all is not lost even when this method is unsuccessful.

You can try to reveal the date with the acid test. The procedure requires the application of a few drops of acid to the area where the date was initially struck.

Believe it or not, there is a product named Nic-A-Date specifically formulated to temporarily restore the worn Buffalo nickel date that is invisible to the naked eye. This procedure creates enough contrast and allows you to read numbers, but many collectors avoid it.

Namely, acid quickly damages the coin surface, leaving unattractive discoloration on the date area. Since digits fade after a while, repeating the procedure on the same coin is sometimes necessary for confirmation.

More ugly stains make even the most valuable nickel specimens and proven key dates significantly less valuable. Besides, serious numismatists will never trust such a restored date because of possible fraud.

 These coins are one of inexplicable paradoxes. Even though they are almost worthless, people like and collect them. The reasons are numerous, so you can guess Americans romantically enjoy this legendary coinage's historical context and symbolic value.

 Which Buffalo nickels are worth a lot of money?

•         The 1918/7 D MS 65 nickel (Type 2) sold at $350,750 (2006)
•         The 1926 S MS 66 nickel (Type 2) sold at $322,000 (2008)
•         The 1916 MS 64 nickel (Type 2, Doubled Die Obverse)sold at $281,750 (2004)
•         The 1913 D MS 68 nickel sold at $143,750 (2008)
•         1917 S MS 67 nickel sold at $138,000 (2008)
•         1920 D MS 67 nickel sold at $138,000 (2008)
•         1927 S MS 66 nickel sold at $125,350 (2008)

The weird thing is that the same coins but without the date are almost worthless.

 Even though No Date Buffalo nickels were worth only their face value until recently, their prices have increased during the last few decades. Only a few years ago, you could find one for $0.06 to $0.20, but most dealers sell them for $0.50 to $1 today.

This article was written in cooperation with Amrytt Media