Printable Catalog with Mintage Statistics for Items Designed and Minted by Daniel Carr / Moonlight Mint.

 “1933” Native-Head/Bison Nickels – Production Blog

 

All are over-struck on genuine US Mint Native-Head/Bison nickels (circa 1913-1938), unless otherwise noted.
Some were broad-struck and/or multiply struck with moderate shift between strikes.

 

In the depths of the Great Depression, demand for new coinage was weak, and so the US Mint did not produce any 5-cent coins in 1932-1933. A pastime of the era was to carve “hobo” designs into the coins. These carvings generally left the original date alone, but changed much of the remaining design. These “1933” over-struck coins are the opposite in that the date is changed while the bulk of the design is unchanged.

 

NOTE: These are NOT endorsed by the US Treasury. Defacing of US coins is legal so long as the defacement isn't for fraudulent purposes.

 

Current Status:

Production has ended due to major crack across reverse (Buffalo) die. The dies have been totally defaced and scrapped.

Die Pair

Quantity Struck

Issue
Price

Notes

 

Die Pair 1
Broad-
Strike

85

(final)

$25

(sold out)

First produced July 2011.
Broad-strike or partial-collar strike on
Native-Head/Bison nickels originally dated 1913-1938. The last 46 struck have a large die crack across Buffalo on reverse.

One (not released) was struck on a virgin US Mint bronze small cent blank.

One (not released) was struck on an unknown 3.9-gram copper blank.

Die Pair 1
Broad-Strike

Die Pair 1
Normal
Strike

298

(final)

$50

(sold out)

First produced July 2011.
Over-struck on
Native-Head/Bison nickels originally dated 1913-1938.

One (not released) was struck on a virgin US Mint nickel 5-cent blank.

The last 38 struck have a large die crack across Buffalo on reverse.

Die Pair 1
Normal Strike

Die Pair 1
Die Crack Reverse