1936-S Buffalo Nickel Value: What Is It Worth in 2026?
Mintage: ~14.9 million struck
Estimated value · Source: USACoinBook price guide (updated Feb 2026)
1936 S Buffalo Nickel
Mint: San Francisco (S)
Worth selling
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) | $1.56 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $1.88 |
| Fine (F-12) | $2.19 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $2.50 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $4.96 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $15 |
| Mint State (MS-63, uncirculated) | $56 |
A 1936 Buffalo Nickel struck at the San Francisco mint — a final-years issue, more available thanks to collector hoarding when the series ended.
See the full page for this coin (mintage, how to identify it, where to sell)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.