The Buffalo Nickel Collection

The Buffalo Nickel has garnered popularity from not only coin collectors but also from those who like all things western.  After all, the "wild west" is truly Americana and there are so many places to explore.

I have been using the Buffalo Nickel in my designs ranging from bracelets, hats,  hatbands and now keychains.

So I thought I would provide a brief history about the Buffalo Nickel from an article that I found on line.  Here is an excerpt that explains how the design was developed:

Introduced in 1913, the Buffalo Nickel was an early hit with collectors and a major circulation workhorse through 1938 when the series ended. 

Although aficionados prefer the name Buffalo Nickel, the official name of the coin is the Five Cent Indian Head.

The popularity of the Buffalo nickel is rooted primarily in its design by James Earle Fraser with a right-facing profile of an Indian chief in a headdress on the obverse, and an American bison or buffalo on the reverse.

The Indian on the coin is a composite image of (at least) three different Native American chiefs, while the bison was based on Black Diamond, who was held in the Central Park Zoo at the time. These motifs also tap into the American romance with the “Wild West” ever since the period of expansion that began in 1803 with the Lewis and Clark expedition that reached the Pacific Northwest by 1805. 

To see all the pieces using the Buffalo Nickel just type Buffalo Nickel in the search box of this website.  Enjoy a piece of Americana!