Buffalo Nickel Portrait Bust, Sculpture Inspired by the 1913 US Coin

Buffalo nickel portrait bust inspired by James Earle Fraser's Indian Head design on the Buffalo nickel, one of the most iconic American coins ever made. A meaningful gift for coin collectors and lovers of American and Native American history.

THE STORY OF THE BUFFALO NICKEL

In the early 1900s, encouraged by President Theodore Roosevelt, the United States set out to make its coins true works of art. In 1913 the five-cent piece went to sculptor James Earle Fraser, a student of Augustus Saint-Gaudens who had grown up on the Dakota frontier and met Native Americans as a boy.

Fraser wanted a design that could only be American. For the obverse he made a composite portrait from several Native American men who sat for him, and he later named Iron Tail of the Lakota and Two Moons of the Northern Cheyenne among them. On the reverse he placed the American bison. Together they told the story of the American West in a single coin.

The Buffalo nickel, also called the Indian Head nickel, was struck from 1913 to 1938. Its high relief made the date wear away quickly, which is why sharp, dated examples are so prized today. The design was loved so much that the U.S. Mint brought it back on the 2001 American Buffalo silver dollar and on the American Buffalo gold coin.

This bust brings Fraser's portrait off the coin as a sculpture for your shelf or coin cabinet.

A WELCOME GIFT FOR

• Collectors of Buffalo nickels, Indian Head nickels and U.S. type coins
• Numismatists and coin club members
• Lovers of the American West, frontier history and Native American history
• Anyone looking for an American history sculpture with a real story

PRODUCT DETAILS

• Heights: 10, 14, 17, 21, 25 or 30 cm (approximately 3.9, 5.5, 6.7, 8.3, 9.8 or 11.8 inches)
• Colours: Matte White, Cream White, Light Kaki, Gold or Silver
• 3D printed in PLA plastic and made to order
• Includes one standalone bust; no coin or coin holder included
• No assembly required

This is an artistic interpretation inspired by the historic coin design. It is not an official U.S. Mint product.

Choose your preferred height and colour from the listing options.