1936 US 'Buffalo' nickel heads button

This beautiful coin is one of the most sculptural ever minted. It was designed by sculptor James Earle Fraser. The portrait is a composite of three chiefs who sat for the artist: Big Tree of the Kiowa, Two Moons of the Cheyenne and Iron Tail of the Sioux. There was a trend at this time to bypass those engravers who were employed by the Mint and commission outside sculptors to design new coins. This resulted in some of the most beautiful coins the US ever produced, but they often had technical issues arising from artists' inexperience of the specific demands of currency. For example, the raised date on the obverse of this coin is liable to wear and is often worn completely away in older specimens. Over 1.2 billion buffalo nickels were minted between 1913 and 1938. Value 5 cents, composition 75% copper 25% nickel, 5 grams in weight, 21.2 millimeters in diameter. PERMISSIONS: The US Mint specifically allows use of the "buffalo" nickel design.