<Tr> <Th> Design date </Th> <Td> 1913 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Design discontinued </Th> <Td> 1938 </Td> </Tr> <P> The Buffalo nickel or Indian Head nickel is a copper - nickel five - cent piece that was struck by the United States Mint from 1913 to 1938 . It was designed by sculptor James Earle Fraser . </P> <P> As part of a drive to beautify the coinage, five denominations of US coins had received new designs between 1907 and 1909 . In 1911, Taft administration officials decided to replace Charles E. Barber's Liberty Head design for the nickel, and commissioned Fraser to do the work . They were impressed by Fraser's designs showing a Native American and an American bison . The designs were approved in 1912, but were delayed several months because of objections from the Hobbs Manufacturing Company, which made mechanisms to detect slugs in nickel - operated machines . The company was not satisfied by changes made in the coin by Fraser, and in February 1913, Treasury Secretary Franklin MacVeagh decided to issue the coins despite the objections . </P>

When was the last indian head nickel made