Gary's Type Set
5C INDIAN HEAD/BUFFALO, TYPE 2 (1913-1938)

Owner Comments:

James Earle Fraser, designer of the Buffalo Nickel, grew up on the American frontier until he was 14, when he entered art school in Chicago. This experience influenced him and his art as a sculptor. When James Earle Fraser set out to design the Buffalo Nickel, his vision was to design something "definitively American” and this nickel fulfilled that vision. For the first time in our nation’s history, beginning with the “Indian Head” Quarter-Eagle and Half-Eagle in 1908, and the Buffalo Nickel in 1913, our coinage featured authentic Native-American models rather than “Lady Liberty” wearing an Indian headdress. The reverse of this coin features an American bison, hunted by Native-Americans for its hide and for food. The Buffalo Nickel, a fitting tribute to Native-Americans, was unveiled on March 4, 1913 when President Taft presented the first examples to 33 Indian chiefs. This MS-66, 1938-D Buffalo Nickel represents “The End of the Trail” for the Buffalo Nickel, but not for the design. The design reappeared on the 2001 American Buffalo commemorative dollar and the current $50 American Buffalo 24-karat gold coin.