Is a buffalo nickel rare?

The buffalo nickel is not particularly rare, even though it was only minted between 1913 and 1938. According to the U.S. Mint, more than 1.2 billion such nickels were made during this time period. Some buffalo nickels, however, are more rare than others and have more value to coin collectors.

One type of buffalo nickel was only made for a short time. The 1913-S Type 2 buffalo nickel portrays the buffalo standing on a line rather than on a mound. Other buffalo nickels have certain anomalies that make them more rare. For instance, the 1937-D coin portrays a three-legged buffalo.