1913 Buffalo Nickel Value
The 1913 Buffalo Nickel carries a current retail range of about $0.10 to $38.00 across circulated and Mint State grades. Where your coin lands depends on wear, strike and surface quality.
Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.
1913 Buffalo Nickel value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Good (G-4) | $0.10 to $0.15 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $0.10 to $0.20 |
| Fine (F-12) | $0.20 to $0.35 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $0.40 to $0.70 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $0.80 to $1.35 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $1.60 to $2.70 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $3.20 to $5.40 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $7.20 to $12.00 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $22.50 to $38.00 |
Estimated retail range, updated 2026-06-15. Estimates are modeled from mintage rarity and metal content, not auction records. Actual sale prices vary with certification, eye appeal and market timing.
What is the 1913 Buffalo Nickel selling for today?
At the entry level, well-worn examples bring about $0.10. The same coin in gem uncirculated condition is a $38.00 coin. Grade is everything: two examples of the 1913 Buffalo Nickel can differ in price by an order of magnitude based purely on preservation.
1913 Buffalo Nickel specifications
- Series
- Buffalo Nickel
- Year
- 1913
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- 30,992,000
- Composition
- 75% copper, 25% nickel
- Weight
- 5 g
- Diameter
- 21.2 mm
- Edge
- Plain
- Designer
- James Earle Fraser
Mintage figure: US Mint reports (approximate).
Reading a coin with no mint mark
No mint mark is the mark here: the 1913 Buffalo Nickel comes from the main Philadelphia Mint, which left its coins unlettered in this era. The position where branch mints placed their letter (On the reverse, below FIVE CENTS at the bottom) is simply blank.
What makes the 1913 Buffalo Nickel valuable
Context adds the final layer to the 1913 Buffalo Nickel. Branch-mint issues of the 1920s, struck from overused dies, are notorious for weak strikes. Owning this date means owning a piece of that story, and demand for the series as a whole sustains liquidity for every issue in it.
A large mintage of 30,992,000 means this issue is common in circulated grades. The interesting money starts in Mint State, where quality, not quantity, sets the price.
1913 Buffalo Nickel inscriptions & design
Obverse
LIBERTY / (date) / F [initial]
Native American bust right
Reverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / E/ PLURIBUS/ UNUM / FIVE CENTS / [mintmark]
American bison left
Measured 1913 Buffalo Nickel specimens
12 physically measured 1913 Buffalo Nickel examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 5 g, 21.2 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 Buffalo Nickel #1 | 5.103 g | 22 mm | - | - |
| 1913 Buffalo Nickel #2 | - | - | - | - |
| 1913 Buffalo Nickel #3 | - | - | - | - |
| 1913 Buffalo Nickel #4 | - | - | - | - |
| 1913 Buffalo Nickel #5 | - | - | - | - |
| 1913 Buffalo Nickel #6 | - | - | - | - |
| 1913 Buffalo Nickel #7 | - | - | - | - |
| 1913 Buffalo Nickel #8 | - | - | - | - |
| 1913 Buffalo Nickel #9 | - | - | - | - |
| 1913 Buffalo Nickel #10 | - | - | - | - |
| 1913 Buffalo Nickel #11 | - | - | - | - |
| 1913 Buffalo Nickel #12 | - | - | - | - |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1913 Buffalo Nickel is valued between $0.10 and $38.00 as of 2026-06-15. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.