What it is
A Denver mint worker polished a damaged reverse die too hard and removed the bison's front right leg. Coins struck from that die show a buffalo standing on three legs.
How to identify it
- The front right leg is missing, leaving only a faint hoof.
- A trail of tiny raised dots runs from the belly toward the ground, left over from the damaged die.
- The D mint mark sits below FIVE CENTS.
A 5x to 10x loupe and good, angled light make the details much easier to see. For anything that looks genuine, a digital scale and a certified comparison coin help.
What gets mistaken for it
Many fakes have the leg removed by tooling. On a fake you see scratches or a hollowed area; on the genuine coin the field is smooth. Worn coins can also lose leg detail, so look for the dot trail.
The regular 1937-D coin
The variety appears on the 1937-D Buffalo Nickel, which had a total mintage of 17,826,000. That figure counts the whole issue, so it does not tell you how many coins show the variety.
How the bison lost a leg at Denver
In 1937 the Denver Mint was striking Buffalo nickels when a pair of dies came together with no planchet between them. The clash left marks from the Indian portrait on the reverse die. The usual fix was to polish the marks off the die face with an abrasive. The press operator who did the work, traditionally identified as Bert Pope, removed far more metal than intended. The bison's front right leg disappeared along with the clash marks.
The die went back into service and struck coins that were bagged with regular 1937-D nickels. Nobody inside the Mint caught the change before the coins were released. The line of raised dots below the belly is a leftover of the damage that the polishing did not remove, which is why it is such an important sign of a genuine coin.
How the three-legged nickel became a classic
Collectors noticed the coins soon after release. The three-legged bison quickly became one of the most wanted Buffalo nickels. Its listing in the Red Book beside the regular dates put it on the want list of everyone filling a Buffalo nickel album. Its odd look, a bison balancing on three legs, makes it easy to explain to people outside the hobby.
Because it is both famous and expensive, it has also been one of the most altered coins in American numismatics. Learning to tell a genuine coin from a tooled one is a basic skill for any Buffalo nickel collector.
A step-by-step check
You need a 5x loupe, a 10x loupe and a lamp you can move around the coin. Start with the overall look: on a genuine coin the bison clearly stands on three legs with only a faint trace of the right front hoof. Then check below the belly with the 10x loupe for the trail of tiny raised dots running toward the ground.
Next, tilt the coin under the light and study the field where the leg should be. On an Uncirculated coin it should show the same flow lines and luster as the rest of the field. On a circulated coin it should show the same even wear. Any rough patch, dull spot, step or hollow in the field means the leg was removed by hand.
Finally, check the obverse date. Buffalo nickel dates wear quickly. A coin must show a readable 1937 to be certified as the variety. Then confirm the D mint mark below FIVE CENTS on the reverse.
Counterfeits and other look-alikes
Besides tooled coins, there are struck counterfeits made from false dies. These often show the dot trail in the wrong place, a soft or oddly shaped D, a weak rim or details that look too sharp or too mushy for the coin's grade. Weak strikes and worn dies on other dates can also leave the bison with a thin or faint leg, which is why the date and mint mark must match.
The 1936-D three and a half legs variety is a separate coin, with only part of the front leg polished away. It is collected in its own right and should not be sold as the 1937-D.
Grades collectors look for
Most three-legged nickels grade from Fine to Extremely Fine, with the date and the bison's horn worn to varying degrees. About Uncirculated and Uncirculated coins are scarce and many show weak details from the heavily polished die. Collectors look for a full date, a full horn and original color, whether bright or naturally toned.
Avoid coins with a restored date. Buffalo nickels whose dates have been brought back with acid show a darkened, etched patch around the date. The major grading services will not give them a straight grade.
Authentication and attribution
PCGS and NGC both certify the 1937-D three-legged nickel. It is listed as FS-901 in the Fivaz-Stanton system. Given the number of altered and counterfeit coins, buy only examples graded by a major service and check the certification number online before paying.
Other famous Buffalo nickel varieties
Denver also produced the 1918/7-D overdate, the rarest of the great Buffalo nickel varieties. Collectors of the series usually rank the 1937-D three-legged, the 1918/7-D and the 1916 doubled die obverse from Philadelphia as the three key varieties, with the 1936-D three and a half legs as a popular addition.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if I have a 1937-D Three-Legged Buffalo Nickel?
The front right leg is missing, leaving only a faint hoof. A trail of tiny raised dots runs from the belly toward the ground, left over from the damaged die. If your coin passes these checks, have it authenticated by PCGS or NGC before buying or selling.
Is the 1937-D Three-Legged Buffalo Nickel valuable?
Genuine examples sell for a premium over regular coins of the same date. The amount depends on how strong the variety is, the coin's condition and whether it is certified. Compare recent sold auction results for certified coins in the same grade.
What is a over-polished die?
A Denver mint worker polished a damaged reverse die too hard and removed the bison's front right leg.
Who made the 1937-D three-legged buffalo nickel?
It was created at the Denver Mint when a press operator, traditionally named as Bert Pope, polished clash marks off a reverse die and removed the leg. The coins were released before anyone caught the change.
Is there a 1937 three-legged nickel without a D?
No. The variety comes from a Denver die, so a genuine coin always has the D. A Philadelphia or San Francisco 1937 nickel with a missing leg has been altered or damaged.
Does a three-legged nickel need a full date?
The date must be readable as 1937 for the coin to be certified as the variety. Coins with acid-restored dates receive a details grade.