History of the 1937-D Three-Legged Buffalo Nickel
The Three-Legged Buffalo is the most famous mint error of the series. A Denver Mint employee polished a damaged reverse die so aggressively that the bison’s foreleg vanished entirely, leaving a hoof floating below empty space. The coins entered circulation before anyone noticed.
Because the missing leg is so visually obvious, the variety became a household name among collectors, and demand has always outstripped the modest surviving population — especially in uncirculated grades.
The 1937-D three-legged nickel was struck in 1937 in copper-nickel. Production took place at Denver (D).
How much is a 1937-D three-legged nickel worth?
Prices for the 1937-D three-legged nickel move with the collector market. Use the ranges below as a starting point for problem-free examples, not as a guarantee.
Printed price guides age quickly. The most honest benchmark is what comparable coins actually sold for, which is why CoinVault Pro shows live values built on Numista catalog data and real eBay sold results whenever it identifies a coin.
- Good (G-4): $400–$550
- Fine (F-12): $550–$700
- Extremely Fine (XF-40): $800–$1,100
- MS-63: $2,500–$4,000
How to identify a genuine 1937-D Three-Legged Buffalo Nickel
Before you get excited about a potential find, confirm that the coin in your hand matches the genuine article. Work through this checklist:
When a coin fails any of these checks, treat it with suspicion. Modern counterfeits can be convincing at arm's length, but weight, dimensions and die details rarely lie.
- The middle of the foreleg is missing but the hoof remains — crude removals of the whole leg are fakes.
- Genuine examples show a stream of raised die-polish dots ("urine stream") from the bison’s belly to the ground.
- The back leg looks moth-eaten at the top on genuine coins.
- Certification is standard for this variety given rampant alterations.
Check your 1937-D three-legged nickel with CoinVault Pro
The fastest way to find out what you have is to photograph the coin with CoinVault Pro. The app identifies it using Gemini AI combined with Coin-CLIP image matching, estimates a grade on the full Sheldon 1–70 scale, and shows live market values built on Numista catalog data and real eBay sold prices.
From there you can add the coin to your collection, track its value over time, put upgrades on your wishlist, or list it on the in-app marketplace with escrow protection. The app is free to download on iOS and Android.