1935 – 1936 Indian Head Nickel Value – Buffalo Nickel Guide, Charts & Mintmarks

Between 1913 and 1938, the 5-cent coins of the United States of America depict a buffalo, an animal native to North America, on the reverse, and a Native Indian on the obverse. They have always maintained the same weight of 5 grams and the material of 75% nickel and 25% copper.

Do you have a 1935 five-cent coin? Want to know how much it might be worth?

1935 Indian Head/Buffalo Nickel Value Chart

Coleccionistasdemonedas.com Estimated Value of 1935 Buffalo nickel is:

It is possible to appreciate great differences in prices according to the mints and, above all, according to their grade.

Keep reading to find out more…

How much are 1935 Buffalo Nickels worth?

Depending on certain factors, 1935 nickels have greater or lesser value, since in general they do not usually have high prices for such common coins.

Conservation, a key factor

The first factor when valuing a Buffalo nickel is to know the state of conservation of the coin, that is to say, the grade that is attributed to it according to its conservation over time. The higher the grade, the higher the price increases, exponentially. In a poor condition it can be worth less than a dollar, however, in the highest grades it can exceed thousands of dollars.

To know the state of conservation of the coin we own or want to buy, we need to have an expert eye that is acquired with time and experience. That is why it is not a bad idea to resort to TPG (Third Party Grading Service). These are companies dedicated to evaluation and give a score to our coins according to their condition. In addition, they certify the authenticity and encapsulate the coin for security purposes, both for its preservation and to facilitate its sale.

Knowing the mint that issued the coin

The second factor would be where the nickel was minted, that is, where it was manufactured. On the 1935 five-cent coins there are three possible mints (factories):

• Philadelphia: No mint mark, with a mintage of 58,264,000 coins.
• Denver: With mint mark D, with a mintage of 12,092,000 coins.
• San Francisco: With mint mark S, with a mintage of 10,300,000 coins.

Where can we find the mint mark?

It is simple: on the reverse of the coin, under the buffalo, we find the word “FIVE CENTS“; below, there may or may not be a letter indicating the mint. If there is no letter, this is Philadelphia, otherwise, it may be a D or an S as we have seen previously.

What makes the 1935 Buffalo Nickel rare?

We could consider rarity as the third factor. That is, that they contain some error or variant that, together with the quality, increases the price due to their scarcity.

This year’s most quoted Buffalo errors are:

1935 Doubled Die Reverse

This error can be seen on the reverse of the Philadelphia five-cents.

It consists of a double minting of the reverse of the coin, that is, two strikes instead of one when stamping the design on the flan of the nickel. This causes the image to appear somewhat doubled, or with a different relief design.

In the word “FIVE CENTS” is where we can see the error.

1935 D/D

Similar to the previous error, however, only located with the Denver mint mark (D). In this case, we can see how this letter under the buffalo is minted twice, being displaced.

These errors, despite seeming unremarkable, cause a furor among collectors due to their scarcity, and it is for this reason that thousands of dollars are paid depending also on their conservation factor. In the following table we can see how much these two cases are worth:

How do you know if it is valuable?

We can assess whether our currency will have a high price by looking at the above factors:

• Reverse: This is where you will see the mint mark and if it has any of the previously mentioned errors. Specifically on the exergue of the coin, at the bottom.
• General quality: In this case it is more difficult, we can see if it is to a greater or lesser extent worn, but to be sure only an expert or TPG will remove any doubt.

1936 Buffalo Nickel Value

Coleccionistasdemonedas.com Estimated Value of 1936 Buffalo nickel is:

Note that there are great differences in value attending to the mints and, most of all, to their grade.

Keep reading to find out how much is a Buffalo nickel 1936 worth…

Between 1913 and 1938, the 5-cent coins of the United States of America depict a buffalo, an animal native to North America, on the reverse, and a Native Indian on the obverse. They have always maintained the same weight of 5 grams and the material of 75% nickel and 25% copper.

Do you have a 1936 five-cent coin? Want to know how much it might be worth?

Just keep reading…

How to know the value of 1936 Buffalo nickels?

Depending on certain factors, this coins have greater or lesser value, since in general they do not usually have high prices for such common coins.

Knowing the mint that minted the coin

The second factor would be where the nickel was minted, that is, where it was manufactured. On the 1936 five-cent coins there are three possible mints (factories):

• Philadelphia: No mint mark, with a mintage of 119,001,420 coins.
• Denver: With mintmark D, with a mintage of 24,814,000 coins.
• San Francisco: With mintmark S, with a mintage of 14,930,000 coins.

Where can we find the mintmark?

Quite easy: on the reverse of the coin, under the buffalo, we find the word “FIVE CENTS“; below, there may or may not be a letter indicating the mint. If there is no letter, this is Philadelphia, otherwise, it may be a D or an S as we have seen previously.

What makes the 1936 buffalo nickel rare?

We could consider rarity as the third factor. That is, that they contain some error or variant that, together with the quality, increases the price due to their scarcity.

This year’s most quoted 1936 Buffalo nickel errors are:

1936 D Buffalo Nickel 3-1/2 Legs:

This error occurs only in the Denver mint (D) coins, and can be seen on the reverse, specifically on the front legs of the Buffalo. Due to a minting error the right leg is hardly visible. This is why the error is called 3 and a half legs.

If you are owner of a Buffalo nickel 1936 D, you are a lucky!

1936 5C DDR FS-801

This name is given to a variant of the Philadelphia mint that has a duplication in the reverse letters, which obtain a greater thickness. This is due to a double minting at the time of manufacture.

These errors, despite seeming unremarkable, cause a furor among collectors due to their scarcity, and it is for this reason that thousands of dollars are paid depending also on their conservation factor. In the following table we can see how much these two cases are worth:

How do you know if a 1936 Buffalo nickel is valuable?

We can assess whether our currency will have a high price by looking at the above factors:

• Reverse: This is where you will see the mint mark and if it has any of the previously mentioned errors. Specifically on the exergue of the coin, at the bottom.
• General quality: In this case it is more difficult, we can see if it is to a greater or lesser extent worn, but to be sure only an expert or TPG will remove any doubt.

References and sources

• Heritage Auctions
• NGC Coins
• The Official Red book 2023: A Guide Book of United States Coins.

Raúl Antolí

Numismatic collector with special interest in the history of Spain.

Graduated in Labor Relations and Human Resources. I have been trained in numismatics by the University of Murcia. I am a specialist in Spanish currency (from the Catholic Kings to today), euros and large silver modules.