What it is
A Denver die for the 2005 American Bison nickel was gouged, leaving a raised line that runs across the bison's back like a spear.
How to identify it
- A raised, straight line crosses the bison's back and continues past it.
- The line is raised above the surface, not cut into it.
- The D mint mark is on the obverse, just above the date and below LIBERTY.
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
A scratch made after minting is cut into the coin and shows displaced metal. The genuine gouge is raised because it was cut into the die.
The regular 2005-D coin
The variety appears on the 2005-D American Bison Nickel, which had a total mintage of 487,680,000. That figure counts the whole issue, so it does not tell you how many coins show the variety.
The 2005 American Bison nickel
The American Bison nickel was one of two 2005 designs in the Westward Journey series, which marked the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition. The reverse, by Jamie Franki, shows a bison in profile. The obverse that year carried a new portrait of Jefferson by Joe Fitzgerald, with the word Liberty written in Jefferson's own handwriting.
Denver struck hundreds of millions of the bison nickels for circulation. The speared bison came from one reverse die among them, so it is a small part of a very large mintage.
How the spear got there
The line was most likely made when a hard object was dragged across the face of the die, cutting a groove into the steel. Because a die is a mirror image of the coin, a groove in the die becomes a raised line on every coin struck from it. The line runs at an angle through the bison's back and continues beyond it, giving the look of a spear.
Collectors found the coins in rolls in 2005 and the nickname stuck at once.
A step-by-step check
You need a 5x loupe and a lamp angled across the reverse. Look for a thin, straight raised line that crosses the bison's back. Follow the line: a die gouge keeps the same width and continues smoothly across the field and the animal, rising and falling with the design.
Then tilt the coin. A raised line casts a tiny shadow on one side and catches light on its top edge. A scratch shows a groove with metal pushed up along its edges. Finally, check the obverse for the 2005 date and the D mint mark below it.
If you are unsure, compare the line on your coin with images of a certified example. The genuine line starts and ends in the same places on every coin from the die.
Look-alikes
Post-mint scratches across the bison are common on circulated coins and are the most frequent false find. Die cracks can also run across the reverse, but they tend to wander and branch rather than run straight. A line made by pushing metal sideways is always accompanied by a groove beside it, which the genuine gouge never has.
Philadelphia bison nickels do not have the variety, so a 2005-P with a line across the back is almost certainly damaged.
Grades and preservation
Because the speared bison was found soon after release, Uncirculated examples exist in reasonable numbers. Collectors favor coins with full luster and few contact marks on the bison, since marks on the reverse can hide or confuse the line. High grade coins with a strong, complete spear are the most desirable.
Store any find in an inert holder. Copper-nickel coins handle well, but fingerprints and bag marks lower the grade.
A die gouge does not grow the way a die crack does, but as the die wore, the edges of the line softened. Coins struck later in the die's life can show a thinner, less crisp spear. Collectors prefer early strikes with a bold, sharp line along its whole length.
Attribution
PCGS and NGC recognize the speared bison and name it on the holder. Request attribution when you submit, or the coin will be graded as an ordinary 2005-D bison nickel.
Related Westward Journey nickels
The 2004 Peace Medal and Keelboat nickels and the 2005 American Bison and Ocean in View nickels make up the Westward Journey series. In 2006 Monticello returned to the reverse with a new forward-facing portrait of Jefferson on the obverse. The speared bison is the best-known die variety of the group. Collectors often add it to a set of the four Westward Journey designs.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if I have a 2005-D Speared Bison Nickel?
A raised, straight line crosses the bison's back and continues past it. The line is raised above the surface, not cut into it. If your coin passes these checks, have it authenticated by PCGS or NGC before buying or selling.
Is the 2005-D Speared Bison 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 die gouge?
A Denver die for the 2005 American Bison nickel was gouged, leaving a raised line that runs across the bison's back like a spear.
Is the speared bison on the 2005-P nickel?
The famous speared bison is a Denver coin. A 2005-P bison nickel with a line across the back is most likely a scratch.
What causes a die gouge?
A die gouge is a groove cut into the die by a hard object. It strikes as a raised line on every coin from that die.
Who designed the 2005 bison nickel?
Jamie Franki designed the bison reverse and Joe Fitzgerald designed the 2005 Jefferson obverse. Both were part of the Westward Journey series.