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The American Indian fascinated renowned sculptor James Earle Fraser, so much so that it was no surprise he chose an Indian motif for the 5-cent coin design. And the bison design for the reverse made a perfect companion image. It is arguably the most "American" of all United States coins.
Fraser's artistic prowess earned the undying respect of a dying Augustus Saint-Gaudens, who recommended Fraser to President Theodore Roosevelt to sculpture the official presidential bust. Roosevelt and Fraser became quick friends.
Despite the fact that William Howard Taft was president in 1912, Roosevelt recommended that Fraser be chosen to design the copper-nickel 5-cent coin, overdue by five years for a design change. In the early 20th century, coin designs were automatically changed every 25 years.
The obverse design for the Indian Head 5-cent coin, commonly called a "Buffalo nickel," depicts a large, powerful portrait of an Indian, facing right. The appearance is rough-hewn, unlike the smooth cheeks and other facial features that characterize innumerable Liberty renditions.
The portrait is purported to be a composite of three Indians, although the identities of the models have been disputed. A few Native Americans laid claim to be the model for the coin. The artist himself identified the models as Iron Tail, a Sioux; Big Tree, a Kiowa; and Two Moons, a Cheyenne. All three visited Roosevelt while in New York City, according to Fraser, who studied and photographed them during their stay. Fraser's designer initial, f, appears incuse below the date on the obverse.
More is known about the American bison, which served as the model for the reverse design. It was Black Diamond, an inhabitant of the New York Zoological Park. Fraser employed a little artistic license to portray the bison as though he were living free on the Great Plains. The stuffed head of Black Diamond was displayed at a major coin convention during the 1980s.
During the inaugural 1913-year, two distinct types were produced at the Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco Mints -- the Bison on Mound and the Bison on Plain.
Because of the fear that the five cents denomination on the reverse would wear off quickly in circulation, Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber modified the reverse hub. Barber placed five cents within an exergue to protect it from excessive wear, and smoothing down the roughened fields, reducing the mound to level ground.
