1927 Buffalo Nickel
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 37,981,000 made
- Mintage
- 37,981,000
- Metal
- 75% copper, 25% nickel
- Weight
- 5 g
- Diameter
- 21.2 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 1927 Buffalo Nickel worth?
Age alone gives this coin a small premium, even worn. Sharp details and original surfaces push it higher.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1927 Buffalo Nickel rare?
- No. With 38 million made, it's one of the most common Buffalo Nickels.
- Is the 1927 Buffalo Nickel silver?
- No. It's 75% copper, 25% nickel. The only silver nickels are the 1942 to 1945 wartime coins with a large mint mark above Monticello.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1927 Buffalo Nickel?
- On the reverse, below the words FIVE CENTS. Philadelphia nickels have no mint mark.
- Which Philadelphia dates near 1927 are scarcer?
- The 1924 at 21,620,000, the 1930 at 22,849,000, the 1928 at 23,411,000, plus 3 more. So the 1927 is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1927 Buffalo Nickel coins were made?
- 37,981,000.
What to check on your 1927
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Judge the grade under good light. The tip of the bison's horn and the date are the key points. A "Full Horn" adds premium and a full, clear date is essential for Fine and above.
Look for a full horn tip on the bison and a clear date. A sharp strike and a full date matter more for value than almost anything else in this series.
The story of the 1927
Philadelphia made 37,981,000 in 1927, down from 45 million in 1926. The next year it made 23 million (1928).
It was the big producer of the year, well ahead of 1927-S (3.4 million) and 1927-D (5.7 million).
Philadelphia struck the Buffalo Nickel in 22 issues between 1913 and 1937. By mintage this one lands in the more common half, while the key for that mint is the 1921 (10,663,000). Within the 1920s it's 23rd smallest of 25, between the 1929 (36 million) and the 1926 (45 million).
More on the 1927
Philadelphia struck 37,981,000 Buffalo nickels in 1927, about four of every five made that year. Denver added 5,730,000 and San Francisco 3,430,000. Philadelphia's total was down from 44,693,000 in 1926 but still dominant.
Philadelphia's presses were busy with a commemorative that year too: the Vermont Sesquicentennial half dollar, marking the Battle of Bennington, was struck there in 1927. For the nickel, the 1927 is a common date that collectors use to fill the year in an album without chasing the scarcer 1927-D or 1927-S. Like most Buffalos, the date sits on the highest part of the Native American's shoulder, so many 1927s survive with only a partial date. A full, readable date and a visible horn on the bison are what separate a keeper from a spender. Philadelphia coins of this year often have better detail on the bison's head than the branch coins do. Worn coins are worth a small premium; uncirculated ones carry a collector premium.
Branch mint keys and soft strikes (1922 to 1931)
No nickels were struck in 1922. Production resumed in 1923. San Francisco struck small numbers in several years, creating the 1923-S, 1924-S and 1926-S semi-keys. The 1926-S, at 970,000, is the lowest mintage regular issue of the series. Denver and San Francisco coins from these years are known for weak strikes, especially on the bison's head and the date.
The Depression cut demand in 1930 and 1931. In 1931 only San Francisco struck nickels, 1.2 million pieces. The coin was saved by many people at the time. Survivors from the 1920s are usually found with worn or missing dates. Coins with full horn detail carry a premium. Dateless Buffalo nickels from this era are often treated with acid to reveal the date.
How to recognize it
The obverse shows a Native American man facing right, with LIBERTY near the rim and the date on his shoulder. The reverse shows an American bison standing on a raised mound in early 1913 and on flat ground afterwards, with FIVE CENTS below. The mint mark is under FIVE CENTS. The raised date wears quickly, which is why many Buffalo nickels have partial or missing dates.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Buffalo Nickel (1913–1938) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1927 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 37,981,000 |
| Face value | 5¢ |
| Composition | 75% copper, 25% nickel |
| Weight | 5 grams |
| Diameter | 21.2 mm |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | James Earle Fraser |
Other 1927 Buffalo Nickel issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 Buffalo Nickel | 37,981,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1927-D Buffalo Nickel | 5,730,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1927-S Buffalo Nickel | 3,430,000 | Circulation strike | – |
Mintage: United States nickel mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.