Whitman Expo
1920-D Nickel MS Values
Details
The 1920-D Buffalo nickel is a scarce issue in all grades, with even circulated examples above Fine to Very Fine proving difficult to locate. In uncirculated and especially Gem levels, the 1920-D Buffalo nickel is actually rarer than most other Denver-mint issues in the series. All told, 9,418,000 examples were struck and fewer than 5,000 remain, with less than 100 in MS65 or above. Fewer than a dozen examples are certified by PCGS and NGC as MS66, and only one is presently slabbed by NGC as an MS67. All of the MS66s take five-figure prices, many of them getting run up high in auction scenarios when two or more Buffalo nickel registry set collectors are bidding on the same piece.
Obverse: James Earle Fraser's famous and simple design depicts a Native American chief with the word LIBERTY from 1-2 o'clock. The date is placed on the lower left of the chieftain's bust.
Reverse: A full portrait of the bison, Black Diamond, with the words UNITED STATES oF AMERICA at the top periphery with the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM just underneath. The denomination FIVE CENTS is spelled out at the bottom. For the Type 1, the denomination is embossed on a flat surface.
Mint & Coinage Details
Mint Location:
Denver
Mintage:
9,418,000
Coinage Type:
Buffalo nickel
Coinage Years:
1913-1938
Composition:
75% copper; 25% nickel
Mint Mark:
D
Physical Characteristics
Weight:
5 gr
Weight:
0.1608 oz
Strike Type:
Business
Diameter:
21.2 mm
Coin Shape:
Round
Design Details
Designer:
James Earle Fraser
Obverse Lettering:
LIBERTY, 1920
Obverse Designer:
James Earle Fraser
Reverse Lettering:
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, E PLURIBUS UNUM, FIVE CENTS
Reverse Designer:
James Earle Fraser
Feedback:
