1936 Buffalo Nickel Value (With Price Charts)

The 1936 Buffalo Nickel is a unique member of the Buffalo nickel family and for good reason. It is most noted for the famous “3-1/2 Legs” 1936-D. While not as widely known as the “3 Legs” 1937-D Buffalo Nickel, the “3-½ Legs” is popular in its own right among collectors.

The regular 1936-D Buffalo Nickel is more expensive in the highest grades than even the 1936-S, which saw nearly 10 million fewer struck at the San Francisco Mint that year. This is due to the worn and over-polished dies at the Denver Mint - the same conditions that led to the 3-½ Legs variety.

The 1936 Buffalo nickel has a lot of rare and noteworthy characteristics. We’ll walk you through them all. Plus, we help you determine appropriate value based on auction records and other information.

1936 Buffalo Nickel Prices & Facts

Many of the Buffalo nickels, or as some people say the "Indian Head Nickel," are very collectible coins. They are made from 75% copper and 25% nickel. The most valuable coins are uncirculated ones that earn the highest “Mint State” ratings from certified coin grading services. Mint State (aka uncirculated) coins are graded from MS60 to MS70.

Did you know coins are graded on a 70-point scale? On the scale, 1 is so worn as to be almost unidentifiable. And a 70 is perfect, with no damage or blemishes visible even under magnification.

1936 Buffalo Nickel
MINTAGE: 118,997,000 (Philadelphia Mint)

1936-D Buffalo Nickel
MINTAGE: 24,814,000

1936-S Buffalo Nickel
MINTAGE: 14,930,000

The Buffalo Five Cents design itself has interesting history as well. In nice condition, you can see the detail on the chief’s face. Interestingly, it’s a composite design of three different Native American chiefs: an Olga Sioux chief, Kiowa chief, and Cheyenne chief.

Most Expensive 1936 Buffalo Nickel: Finest Known and Auction Records

This is a list of the finest-known examples of each 1936 Buffalo Nickel mintage. The auction records listed may or may not reflect the highest price ever paid since person-to-person private sales are not recorded.

1936 Buffalo Nickels Price Chart & Auction History

Identifying the Different 1936 Buffalo Nickel Varieties

Variety coins have had something happen to the die before the coin is struck. Common coin varieties include Doubled Die on Reverse (DDR), Doubled Die on Obverse (DDO), and Repunched Mint Mark (RPM).

The difference between variety coins and error coins is that variety coins result from a mistake on the coin die. Many hundreds or even thousands of variety coins with the same defect can be minted before the mistake is noticed.

The 1936 Buffalo Nickel has two notable varieties — the 1936 DDO Doubled Die Obverse and the 1926 DDR Doubled Die Reverse.

The 1936-D Buffalo Nickel had the most varieties, most notably the 1935-D “Three and a Half Legs.” Other major 1936-D varieties include the 1936-D/D RPM (Repunched Mint Mark) and the 1936-D/S “D over S” Overpunched Mint Mark.

The 1936-S Buffalo Nickel has only one variety, the 1936-S/S RPM.

1936-D 3 ½ Legs Buffalo Nickel

AUCTION RECORD: $20,700 for MS63 (2009 - Stack’s)

1936-D/S Buffalo Nickel: “D over S” OMM

This is a very subtle overpunched mint mark. The most visible clue is the thicker “Five Cents” compared to the regular 1936-D. This variety was likely discovered by someone using a magnifying glass to look at the thicker mint mark. If you look carefully at a magnified image, you can barely see the top curve of the S above the top of the D.

You can compare the two images to see the overpunched mint mark.

What are Error Coins? Here’s What To Look Out For

Error coins result from a mechanical malfunction of the coin press or a defect or mistake in the coin blank itself. (Anything that happens to them after they are ejected from the coining press is referred to as “post-mint damage.”)

Common error coins include:

Each error coin is unique, even if they were subjected to the same type of malfunction. So understanding what to look for and how the error happens is important.

For more information on rare and valuable coins, check out some of these blogs:

And to learn more about coins, buying gold, and other industry topics, head over to the Gainesville Coins blog.