The Buffalo Nickel is a wonderful example of the American history on coinage. It depects an Native American (actually a combination of three Native Aerican's portraits) on the obverse facing right. On the reverse, a BISON mejestically stands facing left on a mound. The inspription "Five Cents" is on the mound on some 1916 coins, and underneath the mound on buffalos made from 1916 until the Jerfferson Nickel took it's place in 1938. On the obverse, an F is underneath the date, which will be the prime focal point for today's blog.�

With a bit of searching, Buffalo nickels can be occasionally be found in coin rolls. If you were lucky, the date will be fully legible. However, in most instances the date is not legible and cannot be read. Why is this? Well, the answer lies In the coin's design. The coin's designer, James Earl Fraser, designed the buffalo nickel in a high relief. The highest relief (in my opinion) that had ever been seen on a coin at the time. The highest point on the design, which is usually the best point for grading coins, is the date. As a coin circulates through general commerce, the highest focal point will be the place that shows wear first. In this instance, that is the date. That is why many circulated Buffalo Nickels lack a date. Years of circulation have worn it off through the pockets and other coins of people of the time. As I mentioned earlier, the date is the highest point on the design, unlike any other US coin. That means that the first design element to wear off on this piece of American history will, sadly for us, be the date. The ratio of dateless coins to coins with dates in the Buffalo nickel series is not known, however most heavily circulated specimens will usually display this phenomenon.

Dealers will sometimes buy dateless buffalo nickels for 20 cents a piece. However, if someone uses nick-a-date to read the full date, it can be worth up to 20% of the market value of one with an actual date.�

Keep collecting,

Thatcoinguy