1920 Buffalo Nickel
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 63,093,000 made
- Mintage
- 63,093,000
- Metal
- 75% copper, 25% nickel
- Weight
- 5 g
- Diameter
- 21.2 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 1920 Buffalo Nickel worth?
Age alone gives this coin a small premium, even worn. Sharp details and original surfaces push it higher.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1920 Buffalo Nickel rare?
- No. With 63 million made, it's one of the most common Buffalo Nickels.
- Is the 1920 Buffalo Nickel silver?
- No. It's 75% copper, 25% nickel. The only silver nickels are the 1942 to 1945 wartime coins with a large mint mark above Monticello.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1920 Buffalo Nickel?
- On the reverse, below the words FIVE CENTS. Philadelphia nickels have no mint mark.
- Which Philadelphia dates near 1920 are scarcer?
- The 1921 at 10,663,000, the 1915 at 20,987,270, the 1924 at 21,620,000, plus 5 more. So the 1920 is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1920 Buffalo Nickel coins were made?
- 63,093,000.
What to check on your 1920
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Check the date on the obverse, on the raised shoulder below the portrait. Buffalo nickel dates were raised and wore away quickly, so many coins from this period are found with partial or missing dates.
- Judge the grade under good light. The tip of the bison's horn and the date are the key points. A "Full Horn" adds premium and a full, clear date is essential for Fine and above.
Look for a full horn tip on the bison and a clear date. A sharp strike and a full date matter more for value than almost anything else in this series.
The story of the 1920
Philadelphia made 63,093,000 in 1920, about the same as the year before. In 1921 the figure was 11 million.
It was the big producer of the year, well ahead of 1920-D (9.4 million) and 1920-S (9.7 million).
Across Philadelphia's 22 Buffalo Nickel issues, the hardest to find is the 1921 with 10,663,000 made. The 1920 is one of the easier ones. No Buffalo Nickel of the 1920s had a bigger run.
World War I output and the 1918/7-D (1918 to 1921)
Demand during and after World War I kept production high, reaching more than 60 million at Philadelphia in 1919 and 1920. Denver and San Francisco each struck around 5 to 10 million a year, far less than Philadelphia. A postwar recession cut 1921 output. San Francisco struck only 1.6 million that year, a semi-key date.
The 1918/7-D overdate is one of the most famous varieties of the 20th century. A working die received an 8 over a 7 and went into use without the error being caught. The overdate is difficult to see on worn coins, so collectors check the shape of the 8. Most survivors from these years are worn, often with weak dates. Well struck branch mint coins are scarce.
How to recognize it
The obverse shows a Native American man facing right, with LIBERTY near the rim and the date on his shoulder. The reverse shows an American bison standing on a raised mound in early 1913 and on flat ground afterwards, with FIVE CENTS below. The mint mark is under FIVE CENTS. The raised date wears quickly, which is why many Buffalo nickels have partial or missing dates.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Buffalo Nickel (1913–1938) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1920 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 63,093,000 |
| Face value | 5¢ |
| Composition | 75% copper, 25% nickel |
| Weight | 5 grams |
| Diameter | 21.2 mm |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | James Earle Fraser |
Other 1920 Buffalo Nickel issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 Buffalo Nickel | 63,093,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1920-D Buffalo Nickel | 9,418,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1920-S Buffalo Nickel | 9,689,000 | Circulation strike | – |
Mintage: United States nickel mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.