Why Did the Date Wear Off?
The dates on many Buffalo Nickels have worn off because the date was on a raised portion of the design. Given that these nickels circulated very heavily for many decades, the wear and tear on them were pretty prevalent. If the date is not present on the coin, the coin will not carry a numismatic premium. A coin collector must know the date to determine its value and see if it is a rare nickel or not. For example, undated Buffalo nickels are worth about six cents each, but only because people use them for jewelry, shirt buttons, and various other uses. All other types of nickels without dates are only worth face value. The first Buffalo Nickels produced by The United States Mint in 1913 featured the denomination of FIVE CENTS on a raised mound of dirt below the buffalo on the reverse of the coin. This design flaw caused the denomination to wear off prematurely. Approximately halfway through 1913, James Earl Fraser modified his design to the denomination below the level of the coin’s rim. This design change protected the lettering from wearing off the coin. Additionally, the mint mark is also located in this area and is protected from the harsh environment of circulating coinage.
What Does the “F” Mean?
The letter “F” you see on the “heads” side under the place where the date is located, stands for the designer’s last name, James Earl Fraser. All Buffalo nickels have the designer’s initials on it regardless of the mint facility where it was manufactured. If your coin has a mint mark, it will be under the buffalo on the reverse (“tails”) side of the coin, below the words FIVE CENTS. If the Philadelphia mint produced the coin, there is no mint mark. The letter “D” indicates the Denver mint facility, and “S” stands for San Francisco. However, they are susceptible to unscrupulous people trying to add a mint mark to a common date coin to increase its value. Before spending big dollars on a rare Buffalo nickel, make sure a reputable coin dealer authenticates it.
Recovering the Date
Sometimes it is possible to recover the date on a dateless Buffalo nickel by putting a drop of ferric chloride on the spot where the date used to be. This chemical called a “date restorer” is sold under the trade name “Nic-A-Date.” Although it will cause the date to reappear on a dateless Buffalo Nickel, ferric chloride leaves a blotchy, rough, acid spot of damage on the coin that ruins the appearance of the nickel. Also, the date will fade over time, and each time you use the chemical, it brings back less and less of the date, leaving an increasingly ugly acid mark. Professional numismatists will not trust a date that has been restored with ferric chloride. An unscrupulous person can create the illusion of a rare date Buffalo nickel by manipulating the metal the ferric chloride is applied. Therefore, be wary of any coin purchase that is based upon a restored date, especially if it is an extremely rare error or key date coins. Never use chemicals on your nickels’ surface to restore partial dates because partial-date Buffalo Nickels are worth more than totally dateless nickels. Depending on which digits are, the nickel can be worth anywhere from 50 cents (if the part showing is the first 2 or 3 digits) to about 20% of market value if the last two or three digits are readable.
How It’s Identifiable Without the Date
Originally the reverse side of the Buffalo nickel had the denomination of “FIVE CENTS” displayed on a mound of dirt beneath the buffalo. As these nickels began to circulate in their first year of issue, 1913, the United States Mint noticed that the denomination was wearing away prematurely. Approximately halfway through 1913, the mint reworked the coin’s design. This rework included the mound of dirt that the buffalo is standing on was modified to have a recessed space beneath it to display the denomination of “FIVE CENTS.” This new design eliminated the problem of the date wearing away prematurely. Find out how much your full-date Buffalo nickels are worth in the Buffalo nickel price guide.
