Buffalo Nickel: a Pennsylvania teenager gathered spare change to pay for a late-night pizza delivery. Among the coins was a worn Buffalo Nickel—seemingly just another piece of small change. But this nickel held a secret that would later make it one of the most valuable coins in U.S. history.
The pizza delivery driver accepted the coin without a second thought, and it circulated for years, unnoticed. Yet, this unassuming nickel was destined for an extraordinary fate.
A Sharp-Eyed Coin Dealer Discovers a Hidden Treasure
Years later, the nickel ended up in a local coin shop, mixed with other old coins. The shop owner, an experienced collector, noticed something unusual—the date appeared slightly off. Upon closer inspection, they detected a faint doubling in the buffalo design.
This was no ordinary Buffalo Nickel. It was a rare 1918/7-D Overdate Nickel, a minting error created when the Denver Mint accidentally stamped a 1918 date over a 1917 die. Only about 200 of these coins are known to exist today, making them one of the most sought-after errors in numismatics. Despite its worn condition—after decades of circulation, including its brief role in a pizza transaction—the coin’s rarity and historical significance made it incredibly valuable.
From Pocket Change to Half-a-Million-Dollar Auction
In 2024, the nickel went up for auction at Stack’s Bowers Galleries, where collectors fiercely competed for it. The final bid reached an astonishing $601,000—a life-changing sum for a coin once used to buy a single pizza.
The winning bidder chose to remain anonymous but made a surprising and generous decision: donating the coin to the American Numismatic Museum in Colorado Springs. Now, instead of being hidden away in a private collection, this once-forgotten nickel is on public display, complete with a plaque sharing its incredible journey.
A Beloved Coin with an Unexpected Legacy
The Buffalo Nickel has long been a favorite among collectors, featuring a striking design with a Native American chief on the front and a majestic buffalo on the reverse. But the 1918/7-D overdate is a rare exception—a minting mistake that transformed an ordinary coin into a numismatic legend.
This story serves as a reminder that history and value can be hiding in plain sight. That jar of spare change on your dresser or the coins in your car’s cupholder might just hold an overlooked treasure.
Could Your Loose Change Be Worth a Fortune?
Next time you handle spare coins, take a closer look. You never know—you might be holding a rare piece of history worth far more than its face value. If a worn-out nickel used for pizza could become a museum-worthy artifact, what other hidden gems might still be waiting to be discovered?
