The 1929 Buffalo nickel (Indian head) was the third 5-cent coin style the US Mint produced. Nowadays, this nickel is among the most popular because of its beauty and affordable price. Unfortunately, it is tricky to find such an old coin in excellent condition.

As always, you can determine the 1929 Buffalo nickel value based on its condition and the mint where it was produced. Some of them will cost you only 65 cents, but those in high grades can reach over a thousand dollars. Let’s take a look.

 

1929 Buffalo Nickel History

James Earle Fraser created this lovely coin with a high-relief design that was pretty difficult for mass production. Numerous intricate details contributed to the coin’s beauty, but it was quite complicated for the dies to achieve the desired effect.

1929 Buffalo Nickel

Location Year Minted Value
Philadelphia 1929 36,446,000 $2.25
San Francisco 1929 S 7,754,000 $2.15
Denver 1929 D 8,370,000 $2
Total / 52,570,000 /

Therefore, most nickels, particularly those with a D and S mint mark, have poor amounts of detail. As a result, high-detail Buffalo nickels with full Buffalo horns are always costly. Since this design type caused quick wear, the US Mint changed it in 1913.

You can see a Native American facing right on the coin obverse. It wasn’t a particular person but a profile made of a few Native American tribal chiefs.

1929 Buffalo Nickel

Face value 5 cents ($0.05)
Melt value N/A
Compound 75% copper and 25% nickel
Coin weight 0.1764 ounces (5 g)
Coin diameter 0.8346 inches (21.2 mm)
Coin thickness 0.0768 inches (1.95 mm)
Shape Round
Edge Plain

On the reverse is an American Buffalo, probably Black Diamond, the animal that lived in the New York City Zoo. However, no one can confirm or deny this claim.

You can also spot the letter F under the date on the coin obverse. It marks the first letter of the designer’s last name. It is always present regardless of the mint where the coin was produced.

You should also look for one more letter below the words FIVE CENTS on the coin reverse. It is a mint mark showing where the particular nickel comes from. In this case, you can see S or D, while the lack of this letter indicates that the coin was minted in Philadelphia.

 

1929 Buffalo Nickel Types

In 1929, three mints produced this nickel:

  • Philadelphia, without a particular mint mark
  • San Francisco, with an S mint mark
  • Denver, with a D mint mark

1929 Buffalo Nickel value by USA Coin book

Quality 1929 1929 S 1929 D
Good $1.4 $1.4 $1.4
Very good $1.7 $1.7 $2.2
Fine $2.75 $2.2 $2.75
Very fine $4.4 $4.4 $7.7
Extra fine $13 $13 $35
About uncirculated $22 $27 $50
MS 60 $44 $61 $65
MS 63 $81 $89 $144

The Great Depression didn’t negatively affect mintage figures this year, so mints produced an impressive 52,570,000 coins in total.

 

1929 Buffalo nickel without a mint mark

1929 Buffalo nickel without a mint mark
Image

Buffalo nickel value has been pretty stable over the last several years since their price doesn’t depend on the gold and silver market fluctuations.

1929 Buffalo Nickel value by JM Bullion

Year Quality
Good Fine Extra fine Uncirculated
1929 $1.25 $2.5 $12 $20
1929  S $1.25 $2 $12 $25
1929  D $1.25 $2.5 $32 $45

In most cases, you should set aside only a few dollars for a coin in low grades, while those in the mint stage will cost you about $45 to $80. However, one superior 1929 Buffalo nickel with attractive light maroon toning that fades to violet at its rims was paid $632 at auction.

1929 Buffalo Nickel value by CoinStudy

Year Quality
Good Fine Extra fine Uncirculated
1929 $0. 7 $2 to $2.5 $13 $32
1929  D $0. 7 $2 to $2.5 $25 $50
1929  S $0. 7 $2 to $2.5 $9 $36

These coins always have a viable market, although new collectors never start their hobby with such inexpensive and unattractive pieces. Plus, none of the minted nickels in this year is particularly rare or unique.

 

1929 S Buffalo nickel

1929 S Buffalo nickel

The 1929 S Buffalo nickel is the most common coin among those produced in San Francisco during the 20s. Namely, most of the mintage was stored in vaults during the Great Depression due to a bad economic situation.

1929 Buffalo Nickel value by COIN HelpU

Quality 1929 1929 S 1929 D
Good $1 $1 $1
Very good $1.45 $1.5 $2
Fine $3 $3 $3
Very fine $5 $5 $9
Extra fine $14 $18 $35
About uncirculated $20 $32 $48
MS 63 $61 $85 $104
MS 65 $249 $338 $920

As a result, an average 1929 S Buffalo nickel numismatic value is $2 to $30, depending on its condition. However, you should pay up to $480 for one of 1,000 survived coins in MS 65+.

 

1929 D Buffalo nickel

1929 D Buffalo nickel

It is not complicated to find the 1929 D Buffalo nickel in lower circulated grades, so they are usually inexpensive. Most of them are worth $0.5 to $22 in circulated conditions.

1929 Buffalo Nickel value by Coinflation

Coin Quality
Good Fine Extra fine Uncirculated
1929 $0.5 to $1 $1 to $1.25 $9 to $10 $28+
1929 S $0.5 to $1 $1 to $1.25 $9 to $10 $35+
1929 D $0.5 to $1 $1.25 to $1.5 $20 to $22 $45+

However, most collectors look for coins in the best possible grade. Some uncirculated pieces will cost only $50 to $70, but scarce 1929 MS 65 Buffalo nickel can reach a price of almost $1,200.

1929 Buffalo Nickel value by Hobbizine

Quality 1929 1929 S 1929 D
Good $0.7 $1.9 $1.9
Very good $1.9 $2.85 $2.85
Fine $3.8 $3.8 $3.8
Very fine $5.7 $4.75 $8.55
Extra fine $14.3 $23.75 $38
Uncirculated $23.75 $28.5 $48
Brilliant uncirculated $52 $48 $67
MS 65 $335 $475 $1,190

 

1929 Buffalo Nickel Grading

1929 Buffalo Nickel Grading

The rule of thumb is that coin’s condition is crucial when it comes to its price. Therefore, you need to have your 1929 Buffalo nickel checked before trying to sell it.

On the other hand, you need to be careful before purchasing such a coin if you are a collector. Only after grading will you get an idea about its value. Remember that this nickel is pretty standard and affordable, so you should be patient and find a high-graded one for your precious collection.

1929 Buffalo Nickel value by Greysheet

Quality 1929 1929 S 1929 D
Good $0.7 to $0.85 $0.70 to $0.85 $0.70 to $0.85
Very good $0.9 to $1.35 $0.9 to $1.35 $0.9 to $1.35
Fine $2.15 to $3.75 $1.9 to $2.45 $1.9 to $2.45
Very fine $4 to $8 $2.65 to $3.5 $6.75 to $21
Extra fine $12.15 to $18 $12.15 to $21 $35 to $47
About uncirculated $21.6 to $34 $27 to $48.6 $54 to 65
MS 60 $33.75 to $40.5 $51 to $62 $61 to $73
MS 61 $40.5 to $48.6 $54 to $65 $68 to $81
MS 62 $46 to $55 $66 to $79 $84 to $101
MS 63 $78 to $94 $115 to $133 $135 to $156
MS 64 $115 to $133 $182 to $218 $260 to $299
MS 65 $247 to $286 $429 to 493 $858 to $972
MS 66 $618 to $780 $750 to $860 $1,940 to $2,380
MS 67 $6,880 to $9,380 $11,900 to $14,450 $13,200 to $15,600
  • Uncirculated – A 1929 Buffalo nickel in mint state is a superior coin without any signs of wear on the surface. It was never used on the open exchange market, and its texture is entirely preserved.
  • Extra fine – Such a nickel spent some time in circulation but stayed in decent condition without significant damage. You can notice very light changes on the surface, and your coin won’t shine with its original luster, but most collectors will be happy to get it.
  • Fine – This coin was in circulation for a while, but it wasn’t destroyed. You can see the worn-out boundaries between the central images and inscriptions, but this coin is still in collectible condition.
  • Good – Unfortunately, a coin in this grade was heavily circulated so that you could spot considerable surface damage. It is full of scratches, and it can even become bent in some cases.

 

Buffalo Nickel Without Visible Date

It is a typical case that the nickel in poor condition is worn out so hard that you can’t recognize the date on its surface. In this case, the date can disappear since it is on a raised design part.

Since nickels were in use for decades, these numbers are usually the first to disappear. Unfortunately, such a coin is always poorly graded and usually is worth nothing.

In the best case, you can get ten cents for such a coin because some artists can use them to create shirt buttons or pieces of jewelry. Some rare pieces will be worth even in this condition, but no one nickel minted in 1929 is not particularly rare or unique.

 

Summary

Regardless of which of the three mints 1929 Buffalo nickel was produced in, it will typically cost only a few dollars. However, some of them with high grades can be worth a few hundred dollars. It is up to you to find a coin in uncirculated condition and with desired mint mark positioned below the FIVE CENTS denomination.

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