Only 5 examples are known
Based on US Mint figures, a total of 1,212,895,399 buffalo (= Indian head) nickels were minted from 1913 to 1938
Buffalo nickels were not struck until 1913 so your nickels (which do not have buffaloes on them, correct?) must be from the prior series called Liberty nickels. You can find a price guide at http://www.numismedia.com/fmv/prices/libnkl/pricesgd.shtml , among many such sites.
NOTE: Not all US coins are "Lady Liberty's" It's a Liberty Head Nickel Only 5 1913 LIBERTY HEAD Nickels are known and each one is valued at more than 1 million dollars. All are accounted for but there are many counterfeits.
There were 372,000,000 2004-D and 361,440,000 2004-P Peace Medal nickels minted. There were also 344,880,000 2004-D and 366,720,000 2004-P keelboat design nickels minted.
"V" nickels, also known as Liberty Head Nickels, were minted for many years and of course each coin placed in circulation can be assigned to a class of "condition". With this in mind I feel you can understand the need of a date of mintage, mint mark if available and the condition of the coin, therefore I would suggest you take your coin/coins to a coin dealer or a collector and ask for an estimate of value.
Based on US Mint figures, a total of 1,212,895,399 buffalo (= Indian head) nickels were minted from 1913 to 1938
The series of Buffalo nickels were minted from 1913 to 1938, but no coins were struck in 1922, 1932 & 1933 so they were made for 22 years.
Buffalo nickels were not struck until 1913 so your nickels (which do not have buffaloes on them, correct?) must be from the prior series called Liberty nickels. You can find a price guide at http://www.numismedia.com/fmv/prices/libnkl/pricesgd.shtml , among many such sites.
None, because there is no coin called a "buffalo head" nickel, and the only US nickels that ever contained silver were special "war nickels" minted from 1942 to 1945.Buffalo nickels were minted from 1913 to 1938 and are made of the same 75% copper / 25% nickel alloy used for all US nickels except war nickels.
NOTE: Not all US coins are "Lady Liberty's" It's a Liberty Head Nickel Only 5 1913 LIBERTY HEAD Nickels are known and each one is valued at more than 1 million dollars. All are accounted for but there are many counterfeits.
It's right on the front: For nickels minted 1938 to 2004 it's at the 4:00 position near the rim. Nickels minted in 2005 have the date at the 5:00 position near the rim. Nickels minted since 2006 have the date below the word "Liberty" Many people are confused by the special commemorative nickels made to honor the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Some of these coins have the expeditions' starting date 1803 on the back, but that's clearly not the date the coins were minted.
There were 372,000,000 2004-D and 361,440,000 2004-P Peace Medal nickels minted. There were also 344,880,000 2004-D and 366,720,000 2004-P keelboat design nickels minted.
2.6 million.
Many older US nickels can be worth $1000 or more depending on their condition, including most shield and Liberty nickels along with a few buffalo nickels with minting errors.However you're probably thinking of the absolute champion, the iconic 1913 Liberty Head nickel. Only five of these coins were minted, and auction prices have been from one to over five million dollars.MoreIn early 1913 design work for the new Indian Head nickel was behind schedule so the Mint had 1913-dated Liberty Head dies prepared as a stopgap, but didn't authorize their use pending a draw-down of existing stocks of 1912 and earlier nickels. During that hiatus a few Mint employees surreptitiously used the new dies to strike five coins with the 1913 date.Because the coins were made on Mint premises by Mint employees using official dies, they're considered to be unauthorized strikes rather than counterfeits or patterns. Regardless of terminology the five 1913 Liberty Head nickels rank with the 1804 dollar and 1933 double-eagle as classic American rarities.
Including the proof 1942P coin (27,600) 869,923,700 War Nickels were struck
There were 39,559,372 minted, while that doesn't say how many survived the 99 years since 1911, it is the most common year out of all the other years in the "V" nickel series.
Liberty head nickels are made of the same metal as nearly all US nickels, an alloy of 25% nickel and 75% copper. The only time nickels had a different composition was during World War II. Special "war nickels" minted from late 1942 to 1945 due to metal shortages. War nickels were made of an alloy of 56% copper, 35% silver, and 9% manganese and can be identified by a large mint mark letter over the dome of Monticello on the back. Regardless of many popular misunderstandings these are the ONLY nickels that ever contained silver.