The letter “F” you see on the “heads” side under the place where the date is located, stands for the designer’s last name, James Earl Fraser. All Buffalo nickels have the designer’s initials on it regardless of the mint facility where it was manufactured.
Where is the mint mark on a buffalo nickel?
The United States mint produced Buffalo Nickels at three different facilities in use three different mint marks: Philadelphia (no mint mark), Denver (D) and San Francisco (S). The mint mark on the nickel is located on the reverse of the coin, just below the denomination of “FIVE CENTS.”
How rare is a 1936 Buffalo nickel?
Of the approximately 119 million 1936 Buffalo nickels minted few survive today in “uncirculated,” brand new condition. Of these uncirculated pieces fewer still survive with the minimum amount of nicks, cuts and abrasions. And, of this now elite group, even fewer radiate blazing original mint luster.
Where does the Liberty go on a buffalo nickel?
The inscription LIBERTY appears within the field on the right side of the coin, while the date appears on the truncation of the neck. Beneath the date is a small incused “F”, the designer’s initial. The placement of the date on a raised area of the design caused it to wear heavily in circulation, creating many “dateless” Buffalo Nickels.
Why did they change the date on the Buffalo nickel?
The company was not satisfied by changes made in the coin by Fraser, and in February 1913, Treasury Secretary Franklin MacVeagh decided to issue the coins despite the objections. Despite attempts by the Mint to adjust the design, the coins proved to strike indistinctly, and to be subject to wear—the dates were easily worn away in circulation.
Is there a way to restore a dateless Buffalo nickel?
Sometimes it is possible to recover the date on a dateless Buffalo nickel by putting a drop of ferric chloride on the spot where the date used to be. This chemical called a “date restorer” is sold under the trade name “Nic-A-Date.”
What to look for in a buffalo nickel key?
Look for doubling in the last three digits of the date. You will notice that the duplicate digits are a little to the right and lower than the more pronounced date of 1916. This die variety is the most sought-after of all the Buffalo nickel varieties. It is very valuable in circulated grades and very rare in uncirculated grades.
