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WHAT A SPECIMEN

Rare nickel sells for $1,776 online – what to look for and how you can find one too

A RARE nickel has sold online for almost $1,800.

This certified Buffalo Nickel was minted in Denver and designed by James Earle Fraser.

These coins were designed by James Earle Fraser
2
These coins were designed by James Earle Fraser
The error pertains to a missing front leg on the reverse
2
The error pertains to a missing front leg on the reverse

In 1911, Mr Fraser was asked by Treasury Secretary Franklin MacVeagh to create a design for a new five-cent denomination.

He got part of the design influence from the time he spent with the Sioux Indians and other Native Americans growing up in Minnesota, according to USA Coin Book.

And the American Bison was close to extinction as nearly 1,000 were thought to exist at the time.

Mr Fraser took that opportunity to engrave the Bison on the reverse with an Indian Head on the obverse.

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How to spot it

There is a special feature on the coin in the listing as it isn't like the rest of the Buffalo nickels.

It features an error, which happens when the Mint makes a mistake in the production process.

You'll notice that it has three legs instead of the usual four.

In particular, one of the front legs is missing.

It also features a D (Denver) mintmark, which can be found on the bottom center of the reverse.

How much is it worth?

While the mintage is unknown, the error element makes it fairly rare.

It is worth $721 in average condition and up to $5,842 in uncirculated grades.

The 1937-D error piece in the listing sold for a total of $1,776.20 after 30 bids.

It was certified by coin service CAC in an AU 58 grade, according to the seller.

How to see what your coins are worth

Make sure to check your spare change for any rare pennies, nickelsdimes, and others as many of these coins could sell for thousands.

Typically, the most valuable coins are ones with a low mintage or an error, as collectors find those coins are some of the rarest.

For error coins, some collectors will pay top dollar if they are also well struck.

A great website to check if your coins are worth anything is eBay.

You just need to search the full coin name, select the "sold" listing and then toggle the search to "highest value.”

If your coins are rare and valuable, you can sell them on eBay or go through a specialist site such as Coinappraiser or USA Coin Book.

Read More on The US Sun

Read More On The Sun

Another rare dime sold online for $5,555 online. 

Plus, a Barber dime sold for $2,500 – what your coins need to feature for them to be worth thousands.

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