Indian Head Buffalo Nickel

The Indian Head Buffalo Nickel – this American nickel five-cent piece had a lot of alternate names – Indian Head nickel, buffalo nickel, or bison nickel due to the bison which was printed on the reverse of the coin. Designed by the hands of James Earle Fraser, the Indian Head Buffalo Nickel was minted and circulated from 1913 to 1938.

During the early 1900’s, President Roosevelt started a campaign to replace all of the coins designed by Charles E. Barber. For him, Barber’s coins and designs are ugly – the Chief Engraver opted for ancient Greek designs which have been popular for high relief. This included the Liberty Head Nickel which was replaced by the Indian Head Buffalo Nickel.

It was in 1911 when Treasury Secretary Mac Veagh along with President Roosevelt hired James Earle Fraser to come up with a new five-cent nickel design. This marked the rise of the Indian Head Buffalo Nickel. On the obverse of the coin, Fraser’s design featured 3 Native Americans – they are Iron Tail, who is an Oglala Sioux chief, Two Moons, who’s a Cheyenne chief, as well as Big Tree, a Kiowa Chief.

John Big Tree, who happens to be a member of the Seneca Nation, claimed that his profile was used to design that portion of the portrait…which composes the top of the forehead all the way down to the upper lip. On the other hand, there has been some news saying that the sculptor said that there is another Chief Big Tree, who goes by the name of Adoeette or Addoeette…a chief who belongs to the Kiowa Tribe. According to the sculptor, this Big Tree was the model for the coin, not John Big Tree from Seneca Nation.

Last but the not the least, one can find a bison or a buffalo on the reverse of the coin. No wonder this nickel was also known as the Bison nickel. Possibly, this bison is Black Diamond who was found at the Central Park Zoo.