I have one of those. It is really old. The ones now of days have a president and something else on it. Mine says that the date is 1826, i think. either that or 1926. the second # is hard to read. But the coin has a type of coating on it that makes t he date wear off easily.
The buffalo is the back. The front is an Indian head.
The coin you describe is referred to as an " Indian Head Nickel " or sometimes a " Buffalo Nickel ".
The buffalo (actually a bison) is on the back, with an Indian head on the front. The date is on the front at the base of the Indian's neck.
Buffalo or Indian Head nickels were minted in the US from 1913 to 1938.
Buffalo(*) nickels were minted from 1913 to 1938. Please check your coin again. (*)There's never been a buffalo head nickel. The terms are "Indian head" or "buffalo" and both refer to the same coin, but the picture on the back is of the whole buffalo, not just its head
1913 is when the US mint started making buffalo nickels. Remember, the coin is called a "buffalo nickel" or an "Indian Head nickel" but not "buffalo head" because it shows the whole animal on the back.
The coin was designed by James Earle Fraser. His monogram appears on the front of the coin which causes a lot of confusion today because many people mistake it for a mint mark. The actual mint mark position is on the back of the coin under the words FIVE CENTS
There's never been a "buffalo head" nickel. The terms are "Indian head" or "buffalo" and both refer to the same coin. As you can see on the coin's back, the picture shows the whole buffalo, not just its head, LOL! Please see the Related Question for information about values.
If you look at the coin's back side you'll see that the entire buffalo is shown, not just its head. However, on the front side only the Native chief's head is shown.That's why these coins are called Indian Head Nickelsor Buffalo Nickels, but never "buffalo head" nickels....Please see the question "What is the value of a 1935 US nickel?" for more information$1.00 to $3.00 in average condition. The coin is not rare or scarce.
As shown in the image, this famous coin depicts a Native American chief on the front and a buffalo (bison) on the back. The coin was designed by James Earle Fraser. The chief's image is a composite of 3 different individuals, and the buffalo is said to be a prize animal named Black Diamond.
$50.00
If you look at the coin's back side you'll see that the entire buffalo is shown, not just its head. However, on the front side only the Native chief's head is shown.That's why these coins are called Indian Head Nickelsor Buffalo Nickels, but never "buffalo head" nickels....Please see the question "What is the value of a 1918 US nickel?" for more information