1937-D 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) | $1.56 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $1.88 |
| Fine (F-12) | $2.19 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $3.62 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $4.96 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $12 |
| Mint State (MS-63, uncirculated) | $56 |
A 1937 Buffalo Nickel struck at the Denver 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)The famous 1937-D — but which one is yours?
Two very different coins carry the date 1937 and a D mint mark. The ordinary 1937-D Buffalo nickel is a common coin: about 17.8 million were struck, and a worn example trades around $2. The other is the 1937-D Three-Legged — one of the most famous error coins in American numismatics, worth hundreds of dollars even in heavily worn condition.
Telling them apart takes one glance at the buffalo's front legs. On the ordinary coin the buffalo stands on four legs. On the Three-Legged variety the front right leg is missing entirely — a Mint employee polished a damaged die so aggressively that the leg disappeared, along with much of the detail in the buffalo's back and the ground line. The variety is listed separately on this site's value chart; if your coin has four legs, the table above is the one to use.
One warning: because the Three-Legged is famous and valuable, altered coins exist — someone removes the leg from an ordinary 1937-D with a tool. Genuine ones show a smooth, characteristic die-polish look and specific weak spots (the 'P' of E PLURIBUS UNUM often fades). For any suspected Three-Legged, professional authentication by PCGS or NGC is worth the fee before you celebrate.
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.