Nickel Roll Hunting: Errors and Varieties to Check

Nickels are one of the friendliest denominations to hunt: the target list is short, and a quick glance at the date tells you almost everything you need to know. This page is a reference guide to the Buffalo, Jefferson, and War Nickel varieties and low-mintage dates worth watching for, expanding on the highlights listed on our main nickel hunting page.

🔷 One-Glance Nickel Hunting Cheat Sheet

Want the entire checklist in one spot? Expand the table below for quick-scan nickel errors, war-silver finds, and low-mintage dates.

Quick Reference: Nickel Errors / Varieties + Low-Mintage (Click to Expand)

Errors / Varieties	Low Mintage / Key Dates
Buffalo Nickels 1913 – DDO / DDR 1916 – DDO 1917 – DDR 1918 – DDR 1929-S – DDO 1930 – DDO & DDR 1931-S – DDR 1935 – DDR 1935-S – DDR 1936-D – DDO & DDR 1937-D – 3-Legged Buffalo (major variety) Jefferson Nickels 1939-D – Doubled Monticello 1942-D – Over Horizontal D 1943-P – Doubled Eye 1945-P – DDO Silver Nickels (War Nickels) 1942–1945 – Large mint mark above Monticello 56% Copper · 35% Silver · 9% Manganese	Buffalo Nickels 1913-S – 2,105,000 1914-D – 3,912,000 1921-S – 1,557,000 1924-S – 1,437,000 1926-S – 970,000 Jefferson Nickels 1938-D – 5,376,000 1939-D – 3,514,000 1950-D – 2,630,030 Modern Low-Mintage Watch List 2009-D / 2009-P – ~39,840,000, low for the era 2020-W – Special West Point mint issues 2024-P / 2024-D – Monitor final circulation mintages

Errors / Varieties

Low Mintage / Key Dates

Buffalo Nickels

1913 – DDO / DDR

1916 – DDO

1917 – DDR

1918 – DDR

1929-S – DDO

1930 – DDO & DDR

1931-S – DDR

1935 – DDR

1935-S – DDR

1936-D – DDO & DDR

1937-D – 3-Legged Buffalo (major variety)

Jefferson Nickels

1939-D – Doubled Monticello

1942-D – Over Horizontal D

1943-P – Doubled Eye

1945-P – DDO

Silver Nickels (War Nickels)

1942–1945 – Large mint mark above Monticello

56% Copper · 35% Silver · 9% Manganese

Buffalo Nickels

1913-S – 2,105,000

1914-D – 3,912,000

1921-S – 1,557,000

1924-S – 1,437,000

1926-S – 970,000

Jefferson Nickels

1938-D – 5,376,000

1939-D – 3,514,000

1950-D – 2,630,030

Modern Low-Mintage Watch List

2009-D / 2009-P – ~39,840,000, low for the era

2020-W – Special West Point mint issues

2024-P / 2024-D – Monitor final circulation mintages

Bench tip: check for war nickels first (1942–45, large mint mark over Monticello), then flip every Buffalo nickel to check for a full date and the 1937-D three-legged variety.

🔁 Buffalo Nickel Doubled Dies & RPMs

Buffalo Nickels (1913–1938) had a soft strike and worn dies more often than later series, which left the door open for a long list of doubled dies and repunched mint marks. Strength of doubling drives value more than rarity for most of these.

Year	Variety
1913	DDO & DDR
1916	DDO
1917	DDR
1918	DDR
1929-S	DDO
1930	DDO & DDR
1931-S	DDR
1935	DDR
1935-S	DDR
1936-D	DDO & DDR

🦬 The 3-Legged Buffalo & Other Leg Varieties

The most famous Buffalo Nickel variety by far is the 1937-D “3-Legged” Buffalo, caused by over-polishing a die that removed one of the bison’s front legs. It’s one of the most searched-for varieties in the entire hobby, always check 1937-D nickels closely. A handful of other dates show partial or “3 ½ leg” die wear worth a second look, though none carry the same fame or value as the true 1937-D.

Year	Notes
1937-D	True 3-Legged variety, missing a full front leg. The key date to know by sight.
1913-D, 1915-D, 1915-S, 1925-S, 1926-D, 1927-D, 1930-S, 1935-D, 1936-D, 1936-S, 1938-D	Assorted die wear producing partial or “3½ leg” appearances. Minor varieties, worth a photo and a closer look but not in the same league as 1937-D.

Most Expensive Nickel Ever Sold: the 1913 Liberty Head Nickel, struck under mysterious circumstances with only five known examples. One specimen sold at auction for $4.56 million. You will never find one in a roll, Buffalo Nickels replaced the Liberty Head design that same year, but it’s the crown jewel of nickel history.