USA "FIVE CENTS" Buffalo Nickel 1921
USA, San Francisco
Rarity
Common
Attributes of Coins
| Region | USA |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 5 cents |
| Krause number | KM# 134 |
| Mintage | 1,557,000 |
| Metal | Copper-Nickel |
| thickness | 1.95 mm |
| diameter | 21.21 mm |
| weight | 5 g |
Obverse:
Great people
Description:
Iron Tail (Native American, chief of the Oglala Lakota)
Creators:
James Earle Fraser (F)
LIBERTY
Reverse:
Animals
Description:
Bison
Creators:
James Earle Fraser (F)
E PLURIBUS UNUM
FIVE CENTS
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Introduction of Coins
Only 1-1/2 million nickels were coined at the San Francisco Mint early in 1921 before the demand for additional pieces dried up completely until late 1923. This issue is scarce across all grades, and Mint State pieces are genuinely rare. Gems are very rare. The obverse master die for 1921 was sharpened with hand engraving, resulting in a crisper rendition of the date and designer's initial. Of course, this was of little value when the working dies were permitted to wear down and become blurry. This is more of a problem with the reverse dies, as these could be carried into 1921's coinage from earlier years. Most were not removed from the press until they failed altogether. It's thus not unusual to find a 1921 S nickel that has a sharp obverse and a mushy reverse. Like most early dates in the Buffalo Nickel series, this issue may be found in a "two-feathers" die state. Clashing and repolishing of the dies often removed the shallow feather adjacent to the Indian's neck, and this feature is barely visible on the coin illustrated.Read More
