Indian Head Nickels is an independent reference built to untangle one of numismatics' most persistent naming confusions — the Indian Head nickel is actually the Buffalo Nickel. We publish verified values for the 1913–1938 series sourced from PCGS Price Guide, NGC, Greysheet, and recent Heritage Auctions records, so collectors and owners can identify what they have and find accurate market estimates.
Who We Are
This reference exists because the naming problem is real. The nickel minted from 1913 to 1938 shows a Native American profile on the obverse and an American bison on the reverse — yet it is called the 'Indian Head Nickel' by the vast majority of people who inherit or find one. Official numismatic terminology calls it the Buffalo Nickel. That gap in language has spawned endless confusion in online searches, auction listings, and casual collector forums. One of us spent an afternoon hunting for 'Indian Head Nickel value' only to realize the entire Wikipedia article was about the Buffalo Nickel under a different name. We decided to build a bridge.
This reference treats the naming as the central feature, not a side note. We explain why both names exist, why the official designation is Buffalo Nickel, and why you will see both terms in dealer listings and auction catalogs. From there, we publish accurate market values for every date and mintmark in the series, sourced from multiple verified channels and updated after major auction activity.
Methodology
Values on this site are drawn from four primary sources: the PCGS Price Guide, the NGC Price Guide, Greysheet/CDN wholesale bid sheets, and realized prices from Heritage Auctions, Stack's Bowers, and GreatCollections auctions. For each date and mintmark, we cross-reference across all four sources and flag when estimates diverge significantly — which happens more often than people expect, especially in the $50–$500 range. When sources disagree, we note the discrepancy and explain the likely cause (e.g., a recent sale at Heritage that has not yet been reflected in Greysheet wholesale bids, or a PCGS retail estimate that prices a particular date above recent auction evidence). For Buffalo Nickel specifics, we track mintage data from the U.S. Mint archives and the Coinage Act records to note which dates were produced in low volumes, as scarcity drives condition premiums. We re-check values quarterly and after every major Heritage signature sale featuring Buffalo Nickels.
The naming confusion adds one extra verification step. We ensure that every value we publish applies to the correct series — the 1913–1938 Buffalo Nickel — and we explicitly rule out any valuations that conflate it with the Liberty Head Nickel (1883–1912) or the Jefferson Nickel (1938 onward). Many casual searches muddy these series. We don't.
Our Standards
This entire reference rests on one fact: you cannot find accurate pricing information for a coin if you do not know what it is called in official catalogs. 'Indian Head Nickel' is the colloquial name; 'Buffalo Nickel' is the official U.S. Mint designation and the term used in PCGS holders, NGC slabs, auction house catalogs, and serious price guides. A coin inherited with a label that says 'Indian Head' is the Buffalo Nickel. A value listed under 'Buffalo Nickel' in Greysheet applies to your 'Indian Head' coin. We flag this explicitly because the mismatch causes real frustration — someone searches for their coin by the name they know, finds a price, and then cannot understand why the same date in a PCGS holder is described differently. Our editorial standard is to treat terminology as a feature, not an embarrassment. We name both, explain the history, and make sure every value you read on this site uses the official Buffalo Nickel designation so you can cross-check it against dealer listings, auction archives, and third-party price guides without confusion.
Disclosure
We do not buy, sell, or appraise coins — we are a reference, not a dealer; we do not accept paid placement for coin valuations or promote any auction house or grading service over another; we do not use the naming confusion as an excuse to inflate values or suggest that confusion equals rarity — the Buffalo Nickel was minted in the hundreds of millions, and clarity about its identity does not change its market fundamentals; we do not certify coins or grade them, and we do not substitute our research for the opinions of PCGS, NGC, or CACG.
Contact
If you spot a pricing error, have a recent auction comp to share, or want to suggest an improvement to how we explain the naming, contact us through the form on this site. We update values regularly and appreciate concrete evidence — auction results, Greysheet bids, or recent sales.