1917 Buffalo Nickel Value: What Is It Worth in 2026?
Worth selling individually: list it on eBay or offer it to a local coin dealer. Grading fees would eat the profit, so sell it as-is.
Value by condition
| Good (G-4, heavily worn) | $10 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $11 |
| Fine (F-12) | $12 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $15 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $19 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $43 |
| Mint State (MS-63, uncirculated) | $186 |
A 1917 Buffalo Nickel struck at the Philadelphia (no mint mark) mint — an early issue with fewer survivors in nice grades — the design wore quickly in circulation.
See the full page for this coin (mintage, how to identify it, where to sell)1917 Buffalo nickel no mint mark value
If your 1917 Buffalo nickel has no letter on the back, nothing is missing — it was struck at the Philadelphia Mint, which never marked its Buffalo nickels. Flip the coin over and look below FIVE CENTS: a small D means Denver, a small S means San Francisco, and no letter at all means Philadelphia. "No mint mark" and "P" are the same coin, so the price table above is exactly the one to use.
In worn condition that puts your coin around $10, rising to $186 in uncirculated mint state. The 1917-D and 1917-S versions (with a letter on the back) are different coins — check the related links below if yours has one.
How to confirm it's genuine
- The mint mark is on the reverse, below FIVE CENTS — a small D or S. No letter means Philadelphia. The date is on the obverse, on the Native American's left shoulder; it wears away first because it sits on the highest point of the design.
- Never clean the coin: cleaning destroys the original surface and can cut the value in half.
- For any coin worth more than $200, PCGS/NGC grading fees (~$20–50) are money well spent.
Where to sell this coin
- eBay works best in the $1.00–$200 range. Take clear photos of both sides in natural light, and put the year, mint mark, and approximate grade in the title.
- A local coin dealer is the fastest way to cash out, but expect 60–70% of guide prices. Best for selling common dates in bulk — dealers buy worn Buffalo nickels by the roll.
- Graded high-value coins do best at auction houses like Heritage Auctions or Stack's Bowers, where realized prices are public.