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Buffalo Nickels
Freefly212
Posts: 3 ✭
in Q & A Forum
Was wondering if anyone could tell me how to find out the years that are on my buffalo nickels. They are so warn down that on some k can't see the years. I can on a few. I know I have a 1936, a 1937, and 1940 I believe. But j cant see the other 5 years
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I have pictures.
Most will only be determined via permanent damage to them
Even without a date, they are still worth we’ll more than 5 cents
I do note there are 2 types on 1913 nickels. Flip all of your nickels to the reverse. Notice how your one’s with a date have “Five Cents” down in a pit.
On a 1913 nickel the “type 2” will be recessed. For the Type 1, the buffalo is on a mound and the words “Five Cents” stick up off the mound.
The Type 1 were made first but the “Five Cents” wore off so fast, they changed it to a recessed Type 2.
You have the hope that you might can identify a 1913 if it is Type 1.
There are other nickels that have slight differences which can identify them but those are scarce. They are also too hard to describe and too many for me to spend time tonight to post pics of them.
If someone comes on here suggesting some method that will alter the metal around the date area, I would suggest passing on the idea. Any scarce coin will be worth less damaged than not.
It will take a week or more to get approved to upload pics.
You are able to use urls from another web server to post pics here.
Dateless buffalo nickels are common. With a few exceptions of the kind noted above, there is no way to read what isn't there. **
** (There is a process that uses acid to "restore" the date in some cases, but it causes permanent damage to the coin.)