The Last Buffalo Nickel - First Jefferson Nickel 1938 Collectible Coin Set

This is a set of the last Buffalo Nickel and the first Jefferson Nickel. Interestingly, both coins were struck in the same year - 1938. On rare occasions, the U.S. Mint strikes two different designs of the same denomination in the same year. The classic and beloved Buffalo Nickel was minted from 1913-1938. The coin was designed by famous sculptor James Earle Fraser. The beautiful design is a unique celebration of “Wild West” culture and heritage. The front is a composite portrait of three Native American chiefs: Iron Tail (a Sioux who fought against Custer at Little Bighorn and who was a star in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show), Two Moons (a Cheyenne who also fought at Little Bighorn), and movie star John Big Tree (a Seneca). The back features Black Diamond, a buffalo that was a star attraction at the New York Zoological Gardens. The Buffalo nickel had long been difficult to produce, and after it completed the 25-year term during which it could only be replaced by Congress, the Mint moved quickly to replace it with a new design. The Mint conducted a design competition in early 1938, requiring that Jefferson be depicted on the obverse, and Jefferson's house Monticello on the reverse. The coin was designed by Felix Schlag, who won a national competition and received a $1,000 prize, but was required to submit an entirely new reverse and make other changes before the new piece went into production in October 1938.