1936-D 3½ Legs Buffalo Nickel

Specifications

Denomination: 5c
Series: Buffalo nickel (1913-1938)
Designer: James Earle Fraser
Years of issue: 1936
Composition: 75% Copper, 25% Nickel
Weight: 5 g
Diameter: 21.2 mm
Edge: Plain
Mint marks: D (Denver)
Key mintages: No separate mintage — die-polishing variety (FS-901) of the 1936-D issue; parent mintage 24,814,000 (Greysheet). ~300 examples est. (GainesvilleCoins).

Melt value: $0.05copper $0.44/ozt · prices as of Sep 16, 2026

Wikimedia Commons, Bobby131313, CC BY-SA 3.0

One over-polished Denver die, ~300 survivors — the bison missing half its foreleg.

History

Over-zealous die polishing at the Denver Mint — meant to remove clash marks or cracks and extend die life — erased the upper portion of the bison’s front right leg from the reverse die (GainesvilleCoins; accessed 2026-09-16)
The damaged die kept striking coins before being retired, producing roughly 300 survivors, virtually all in circulated grades (GainesvilleCoins; accessed 2026-09-16)
Cataloged as FS-901 (formerly FS-019) in the Cherrypickers’ Guide; collector interest rose steadily through the 1990s and early 2000s as auction records and price guides gave it broader visibility (APMEX; accessed 2026-09-16)
It is a significantly rarer and tougher variety than the more famous 1937-D 3-legged nickel, though less well known (Rarity7; accessed 2026-09-16)
Heritage notes the foreleg ‘suffered a similar indignity as found on the following year’s more famous Three Legged version,’ with the die judiciously lapped until the leg was partially effaced (Heritage Auctions; accessed 2026-09-16)

Variety of the 1936-D issue — no separate mintage; parent Denver mintage was 24,814,000 (Greysheet; accessed 2026-09-16)
PCGS had certified 134 pieces by 2011; with crossovers and resubmissions, experts now estimate roughly 300 distinct examples exist (APMEX; accessed 2026-09-16)
Auction context: MS-63 around $26,000, AU-50 around $6,690, VF-20 around $1,845, G-4 around $539 (APMEX; accessed 2026-09-16)

Certified populations: PCGS had certified 134 pieces by 2011; ~300 distinct examples estimated (APMEX)

What ‘3½ legs’ means visually: the upper portion of the bison’s front right leg is missing, while the hoof remains partially visible — about half the leg survives, creating the ‘three and a half legs’ appearance (GainesvilleCoins; accessed 2026-09-16)
Authentication diagnostics: a smooth, natural-looking break (neither flat nor abrupt), fine polish lines and die fatigue in expected locations, normal obverse details with correct date and mintmark placement — plus thicker ‘Five Cents’ lettering than on normal examples (APMEX; accessed 2026-09-16)
How to distinguish from the 1937-D 3-legged: the 1937-D lost the ENTIRE front leg, leaving only the hoof visible, while the 1936-D keeps roughly half the leg with the hoof partially visible — distinctly different error coins with separate values and market recognition (GainesvilleCoins; accessed 2026-09-16)
The variety is subtle and valuable enough to fake or misattribute from normal 1936-D coins, so third-party grading is the most reliable authentication, especially for high-grade examples (APMEX; accessed 2026-09-16)