Miami Valley Coin Club

Not A Bird This Time

Beginning with some of our earliest coins, an eagle was the only animal to appear on a circulating U.S. coin. The depiction of the eagle changed over time, from just an eagle, to a small eagle, to a heraldic eagle, and even a “silver” eagle. In 1856 the Mint engraved a “flying” eagle on the obverse of a one-cent piece, the lowest denomination U.S. coin to have an eagle on it.

In 1913 the Mint placed a buffalo (or bison if you prefer) on the reverse of the five-cent piece. The official name was an Indian Head Nickel but the public called it a Buffalo Nickel. Up until 1999, the buffalo, or bison, was the only animal other than an eagle to ever appeared on a U.S. coin. In 1999 the Delaware quarter showed a rider on a horse on the reverse.