Numismatic

1936-D Buffalo Nickel XF

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The 1936 five-cent piece struck at the Denver Mint stands as a classic representative of mid-century American coinage. Known popularly as the Buffalo nickel, this series is celebrated for its distinctively textured surfaces and deeply evocative imagery, which departs from more traditional, classical allegorical figures to capture the spirit of the American West. On the obverse, the profile of an American Indian faces right, a powerful portrait accompanied by the word LIBERTY and the 1936 year of issue. The reverse showcases a massive American bison standing atop a raised mound of earth. Positioned above the animal is the Latin motto E PLURIBUS UNUM, while the denomination FIVE CENTS is clearly struck below, anchoring this iconic design by James Earle Fraser.