Buffalo Nickel 1 oz Copper Round (New)

An American Icon in Pure Copper

This round carries the full Buffalo nickel design, both the Native American portrait and the standing bison, on 1 avoirdupois ounce of .999 fine copper. Osborne Mint strikes it at 39 mm, about the width of a silver dollar, with a reeded edge and a fresh, unworn finish. It is one of the least expensive ways to own an ounce of a design most Americans recognize on sight.

 

The Design Behind the Round

The Buffalo nickel is one of the most American coins ever put into circulation, and this round carries both of its faces in a full ounce of copper. The sculptor James Earle Fraser drew the original, and the US Mint struck it for circulation from 1913 until 1938 before the Jefferson nickel replaced it. Fraser wanted money that could not be mistaken for any other country’s, so he reached for two subjects found only here.

 

The obverse is a right-facing portrait of a Native American man, built as a composite from several men who sat for Fraser in his studio. “LIBERTY” runs up the right field, and the feather in the braided hair is the detail most people picture when they think of this design. The reverse is an American bison standing on a raised mound, a heavy-shouldered animal that fills the field from edge to edge. It is often said Fraser worked from a bison named Black Diamond who lived at a New York zoo. On the copper round the old “FIVE CENTS” gives way to “.999 FINE COPPER” above the bison and “ONE AVDP OUNCE” below.

 

What Copper Bullion Actually Is

Copper is the honest workhorse metal, and a round like this one stays close to its metal value. You pay a small premium over the copper itself for the die work, the strike and the handling, and that premium is a bigger share of the total than it would be on gold or silver, simply because copper is cheap. Nobody stacks copper to get rich. Folks buy it for the designs, for teaching kids what bullion is, and for the sheer heft of an ounce in the hand.

 

Two things surprise first-time copper buyers. The first is the ounce itself: copper bullion is weighed in the avoirdupois ounce, the standard 28.3 gram ounce, not the heavier troy ounce used for gold and silver, which is why the round reads “ONE AVDP OUNCE” on the bison side. The second is color. Copper darkens as it ages, shifting from bright penny red toward brown and eventually a deeper patina. That is normal oxidation, not damage. Keep the round dry and away from humidity if you want to slow it down.

 

A copper round is privately minted, so it is not legal tender and carries no face value. It is also not IRA eligible, since precious metals retirement accounts only accept gold, silver, platinum and palladium at set finenesses. This is a piece you hold in a drawer, a tube or a display, not one you store with a custodian.

 

Why Stackers Keep Buying Copper

Copper rounds have quietly become one of the most common ways to start a stack. They are the cheapest way in, which makes them easy to buy in volume, easy to hand to a new collector, and easy to give as a gift. A run of classic US designs in copper, the Buffalo nickel next to a Morgan dollar and a Walking Liberty, makes a display set that costs a fraction of the same designs in silver. And when you are showing someone what .999 fine means or how a reeded edge is made, a copper round is the one you do not mind passing around the table.

 

Specifications

Every Buffalo Nickel 1 oz Copper Round in this listing is 1 avoirdupois ounce of .999 fine copper, struck by Osborne Mint at 39 mm across with a reeded edge and listed in New condition. Rounds are sold individually and packed 20 to a tube. Full weight, purity, diameter, edge and mint details are in the Specifications tab above.

 

Buffalo Nickel Copper Round FAQ

Is this round real .999 fine copper?

Yes. Each round is one avoirdupois ounce of .999 fine copper, struck by Osborne Mint. The purity and weight are inscribed on the bison side and listed in the Specifications tab.

 

Is the Buffalo Nickel Copper Round legal tender?

No. It is a privately minted round, not a government coin, so it has no face value and was never spendable money. The design is a tribute to the US Mint’s Buffalo nickel of 1913 to 1938, not a reissue of it.

 

Is copper bullion IRA eligible?

No. Precious metals IRAs accept only gold, silver, platinum and palladium that meet set fineness rules, and copper is not on that list. A copper round is something you hold yourself.

 

Why has my copper round changed color?

Copper reacts with air and moisture over time, so a bright round slowly turns brown and then takes on a darker patina. This is normal and does not change the copper content. Store rounds dry, in a tube or capsule, to keep them brighter for longer.

 

Who designed the Buffalo nickel?

The sculptor James Earle Fraser designed it, and the US Mint struck it for circulation from 1913 to 1938. The obverse is a composite portrait of several Native American men who modeled for him, and the reverse is an American bison.

 

Putting together a set of classic American coin designs in copper? Browse the full copper collection for more rounds and bars struck from historic US motifs.

 

Own the Buffalo nickel in a full ounce of .999 copper. Add the Buffalo Nickel 1 oz