1917 Buffalo Nickel Value
A 1917 Buffalo Nickel is worth roughly $0.10 to $38.00 depending on its condition. Exceptional, certified pieces regularly exceed the top of that range.
Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.
1917 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.
How much is a 1917 Buffalo Nickel worth today?
Figure roughly $0.10 as the realistic floor for a damage-free, well-worn 1917 Buffalo Nickel, rising steadily through the grades to about $38.00 for a certified gem. Cleaned or damaged coins trade below these figures.
1917 Buffalo Nickel specifications
- Series
- Buffalo Nickel
- Year
- 1917
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- 51,424,019
- Composition
- 75% copper, 25% nickel
- Weight
- 5 g
- Diameter
- 21.2 mm
- Edge
- Plain
- Designer
- James Earle Fraser
Mintage figure: US Mint reports (approximate).
No mint mark? Here is why
The 1917 Buffalo Nickel was struck at the Philadelphia Mint, which used no mint mark in this era. If you find no letter where branch-mint coins carry one (On the reverse, below FIVE CENTS at the bottom), you are holding a Philadelphia issue.
Where this coin's value comes from
With 51,424,019 struck, the 1917 Buffalo Nickel is one of the more available dates of its series. Its value rests on metal content and condition rather than absolute rarity, which makes it an ideal type coin.
There is history in a 1917 Buffalo Nickel as well. James Earle Fraser's Buffalo nickel is widely judged the most distinctly American coin design ever struck. That backdrop keeps the series among the most actively collected in American numismatics.
1917 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 1917 Buffalo Nickel specimens
3 physically measured 1917 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1917 Buffalo Nickel #1 | - | - | - | - |
| 1917 Buffalo Nickel #2 | - | - | - | - |
| 1917 Buffalo Nickel #3 | - | - | - | - |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1917 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.