Counterfeit Detection: 1937-D Three-Legged Buffalo Nickel

For many Buffalo Nickel collectors, the famous 1937-D Three-Legged variety is a coin they are determined to add to their collection. At some point, a pair of dies were aggressively polished, which resulted in the buffalo on the reverse missing much of its leg that ought to appear above the ‘E’ in FIVE.

Genuine 1937 Three-Legged Buffalo Nickel Click images to enlarge.

Genuine examples generally sell for hundreds of dollars even in the lowest grades and thousands of dollars in Mint State. NGC recently received a purported example of this key coin, which was easily identified as a counterfeit. However, the counterfeiting method that was used is one that is seldom seen with this particular coin.

Counterfeit 1937 Three-Legged Buffalo Nickel Click images to enlarge.

The counterfeit Buffalo Nickel has the correct weight (5 grams) and metal content (copper-nickel). But the surfaces of the coin are porous and there is a significant loss of detail. For instance, the hair and forehead on the obverse have little nuance, and some of the finer details are missing altogether.

Close-ups of the obverse of the genuine (left) and counterfeit 1937 Three-Legged Buffalo Nickel Click images to enlarge.

Underneath the date, the designer’s initial (‘F’ for James Earle Fraser) is completely absent. The date itself is unexpectedly rounded; it ought to have flatter tops. In addition, much of the Native American’s neck appears to have been lost in the process of creating the fake coin.

Close-ups of the obverse of the genuine (left) and counterfeit 1937 Three-Legged Buffalo Nickel Click images to enlarge.

On the reverse, the genuine coin has the expected arc of raised metal that starts at the hind legs and falls to the left toward the ground, giving the appearance that the buffalo is urinating. This is a useful diagnostic that can help identify 1937-D Buffalo Nickels that have been altered by a counterfeiter to remove part of the front leg in order to give the appearance of Three-Legged Nickel.

Close-ups of the reverse of the genuine (left) and counterfeit 1937 Three-Legged Buffalo Nickel Click images to enlarge.

Unlike nearly all spurious versions of this coin that NGC has identified, this counterfeit is an outright fake rather than an alteration. The arc of raised metal is still missing on this counterfeit, but only because it failed to capture finer details such as that.

NGC has certified thousands of 1937-D Three-Legged Buffalo Nickels. If you want to rest assured that yours is genuine, remember that NGC backs its determinations of authenticity and grade with the NGC Guarantee.

Did you know? NGC has created a comprehensive Counterfeit Detection resource to help collectors and dealers identify counterfeit and altered coins. Visit NGCcoin.com/counterfeit.