united-states-1937-item
Denomination5 Cents (Nickel)
Country / EmpireUnited States
Diameter (mm)21.2
Obverse DesignNative American profile (often attributed to Iron Tail, Two Moons, or Big Tree)
Reverse DesignAmerican Bison (Buffalo), with the distinctive '3-legged' error where the front right leg is missing or very faint due to a die error.
Historical Context
The 1937-D '3-Legged' Buffalo Nickel is one of the most famous and sought-after die errors in U.S. numismatics. It occurred when a mint employee at the Denver Mint aggressively polished a reverse die to remove clash marks, inadvertently removing the buffalo's front right leg and parts of the ground line. This error was not caught immediately, and a significant number of these coins were released into circulation, making it a highly collectible variety.
