[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Lightfoot

I don't think I ever came across a buffalo nickel in my collection money over the whole time I had the route. Even though the last buffalos were minted 'only' 37 years earlier. Remarkable when you think how common it is to see a 1981 or older nickel in this day and age. I did, however, every so often get Jeffersons from the 1940s-50s. That's a testiment to how the buffalos had become collectable from very early on.

I think it has to do with their durability as well. The way Buffalo nickels were designed they tended to wear out quickly, you often see them with the dates completely worn off so you can't even tell what year they were minted. On the other hand, to this day it's not uncommon to find Jefferson nickels from the 40s and 50s in change.