Considered the most familiar obsolete coin in existence is the buffalo nickel! On one side is the head of a warrior, hair braided with three feathers. Proud! On the other side is an adult male buffalo. Realeased on March 4,1913 and minted until 1938, it changed our money to uniquely American.
James Earle Fraser designed the nickel. He became
intrested in the Indian at a very early age and sculptured many
objects from stone in a quarry near his home in South Dakota.
"The End of the Trail" was one of his works while in his teens
. He went on to study in Paris. His teacher was commissioned
to design coins for the U.S. Mint. His first was the Double
Eagle $20. gold piece. When the teacher died, Fraser was
considered as a replacement for
the maker of the Liberty Head nickel in 1883. He got the
job.
Soon after the release of the coin many people
began trying to figure out who was the model for the Indian
on the face of the coin. No one was content with the answer.
After the mint recieved hundreds of letters, Fraser admitted
that it was a composite of three Indians he knew. Two Moons,
a northern Cheyenne, Iron Tail,A Sioux and he could not
remember the name of the last one. It is a mystery yet today.
Though many have claimed the honor, it has never been
verified.
On the back is the buffalo, Black Diamond.
He was born and raised in the NYC
Bronx Zoo. The largest bison ever held in captivity,
he weighed almost a ton. He met with a sad end. He was
considered too old for the Zoo, so he was sold after the
modeling to a poultry and game dealer. Ten years later he
was slaughtered. His hide became a blanket, his meat was
sold as Black Diamond Steaks and his head was mounted. The
head showed up in a coin convention 70 years later.
Now you know the rest of the story!.