Numismatic

1916-D Buffalo Nickel Fine

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The 1916 Buffalo nickel, struck at the Denver Mint, represents a classic era of United States coinage. This five-cent piece, graded in Fine condition, showcases a distinctively American aesthetic that departed from traditional European-style allegorical figures. The coin's surfaces carry the honest wear of a piece that circulated during the early twentieth century, preserving the bold details of its celebrated artwork. On the obverse, a powerful right-facing portrait of a Native American dominates the field. The word LIBERTY is inscribed along the upper right edge, while the year 1916 is clearly visible at the lower left, just below the shoulder. This design, created by James Earle Fraser, captured a realistic representation of indigenous peoples rather than an idealized concept. The reverse features a massive American bison, modeled after a famous animal named Black Diamond. The bison stands upon a flat mound, a characteristic specific to this subtype. Above the animal's back, the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM is visible, while the denomination FIVE CENTS is positioned at the very bottom. Just below the denomination, the 'D' mint mark indicates this coin's origin at the Denver facility.