The Buffalo Nickel was struck for circulation from 1913 to 1938 at the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco mint facilities. Mintages cover a fairly wide range from a low of just 970,000 pieces for the 1926-S to a high of more than 100 million for the 1936. Many of the earlier dates of the series command premiums even in lower circulated grades.
For the first year of issue, production was divided between two types. The Variety 1 Buffalo Nickels feature the bison standing on a raised mound, while the Variety 2 coins feature a flat mound and recessed inscription FIVE CENTS. This change was performed to avoid having the denomination wear away in circulation. Nothing was done to change the placement of the date, which would experience exactly such a problem.
The table below contains the mintage figures for circulation strike coins. Proof Buffalo Nickels were produced from 1913 to 1916 and from 1936 to 1937 in limited quantities.
1913-1938 Buffal0 Nickel Mintages
| Date | Mintage |
| 1913 Variety 1 | 30,993,520 |
| 1913-D Variety 1 | 5,337,000 |
| 1913-S Variety 1 | 2,105,000 |
| 1913 Variety 2 | 29,858,700 |
| 1913-D Variety 2 | 4,156,000 |
| 1913-S Variety 2 | 1,290,000 |
| 1914 | 20,665,738 |
| 1914-D | 3,912,000 |
| 1914-S | 3,470,000 |
| 1915 | 20,987,270 |
| 1915-D | 7,569,000 |
| 1915-S | 1,505,000 |
| 1916 | 63,498,066 |
| 1916-D | 13,333,000 |
| 1916-S | 11,860,000 |
| 1917 | 51,424,019 |
| 1917-D | 9,910,000 |
| 1917-S | 4,193,000 |
| 1918 | 32,086,314 |
| 1918-D | 8,362,000 |
| 1918-S | 4,882,000 |
| 1919 | 60,868,000 |
| 1919-D | 8,006,000 |
| 1919-S | 7,521,000 |
| 1920 | 63,093,000 |
| 1920-D | 9,418,000 |
| 1920-S | 9,689,000 |
| 1921 | 10,663,000 |
| 1921-S | 1,557,000 |
| 1923 | 35,715,000 |
| 1923-S | 6,142,000 |
| 1924 | 21,620,000 |
| 1924-D | 5,258,000 |
| 1924-S | 1,437,000 |
| 1925 | 35,565,100 |
| 1925-D | 4,450,000 |
| 1925-S | 6,256,000 |
| 1926 | 44,693,000 |
| 1926-D | 5,638,000 |
| 1926-S | 970,000 |
| 1927 | 37,981,000 |
| 1927-D | 5,730,000 |
| 1927-S | 3,430,000 |
| 1928 | 23,411,000 |
| 1928-D | 6,436,000 |
| 1928-S | 6,936,000 |
| 1929 | 36,446,000 |
| 1929-D | 8,370,000 |
| 1929-S | 7,754,000 |
| 1930 | 22,849,000 |
| 1930-S | 5,435,000 |
| 1931-S | 1,200,000 |
| 1934 | 20,213,003 |
| 1934-D | 7,480,000 |
| 1935 | 58,264,000 |
| 1935-D | 12,092,000 |
| 1935-S | 10,300,000 |
| 1936 | 119,001,420 |
| 1936-D | 24,814,000 |
| 1936-S | 14,930,000 |
| 1937 | 79,485,769 |
| 1937-D | 17,826,000 |
| 1937-S | 5,635,000 |
| 1938-D | 7,020,000 |
