Learn About the 2001 Smithsonian Institute American Buffalo
In 2001, the Smithsonian Institution opened the National Museum of the American Indian. Congress authorized a commemorative Silver Dollar to raise funds for the museum and to commemorate Native Americans in America.
James Earle Fraser’s iconic Buffalo Nickel designs were reused on both the obverse and the reverse, in homage to his extremely popular and timeless American designs. The obverse depicts a Native American with feathers in his hair. Facing right, the word “LIBERTY” is before his eyes and the date and Fraser’s sole initial “F” are both below.
The reverse has an American Bison standing on a mound. The upper periphery has “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “IN GOD WE TRUST” in two lines. Below the Bison is “E PLURIBUS UNUM” and below the mound is the denomination “ONE DOLLAR.”
The United State mint struck the Uncirculated version at the Denver Mint, while the Proof version was struck in Philadelphia. They bear the “D” and “P” mintmarks, respectively. The coins were sold individually, as a 2-coin set, and also as a Coinage and Currency Set including an Uncirculated Silver Dollar, a reprint of the face of the famous 1899 $5 Silver Certificate and two US postage stamps – one with Chief red Cloud and another with an American Bison. The Coin and Currency Set was limited to 50,000 sets in total.
The maximum authorized mintage was 500,000 coins across all of the variations of the products. The complete mintage sold out within two weeks making it one of the most popular commemorative coins of all time. There is still strong collector demand for these coins. The current market demand is based in large measure on the iconic Fraser designs and the silver content in today’s market.
The $10.00 surcharge added to the cost supported the opening of the Museum and supplemented educational and outreach efforts. It was reported that the Museum and the Smithsonian sought the Secretary of the Treasury to issue an additional 250,000 to 500,000 coins, but their request was denied, and the originally authorized mintage stands today.
| Date | Mintmark | Denomination | Type | Mintage | Value |
| 2001 | D | Silver Dollar | Uncirculated | 227,131 | $180 |
| 2001 | P | Silver Dollar | Proof | 272,869 | $170 |
| 2001 | P & D | Silver Dollars | 2-Coin Set | Included | $270 |
| 2001 | P | Silver Dollar | Coin & Currency Set | Included | $200 |
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