I found a Buffalo nickle when i was camping in the desert this weekend. It's heavier than 'normal' nickles and has an "indian face" on the front and a buffalo on the back. It's a boy buffalo, in case anyone was wondering. Interesting that they bothered to include that detail.

It's hard to read the date but i think it's 1913.

Is it a good idea to clean these things? leave the patina on them? Are these worth more than 5 cents?

Jilly,

Check out this link to get an idea of what it may be worth.

Depends on its condition and several other factors. I'm still new to coin collecting, so I will refer to someone with more experience. But if it's in good enough condition to see detail and isn't very worn, most likely worth more than 5 cents.

Hope you can find out more info!

Hmmm, according to Vance's useful link, it's worth around $6.50

1913-D Var. 1* 6.50

How interesting. Is it good to clean these things or leave it alone? What should I do with this?

After some looking around I learned that my instincts were right, and you should never ever clean them.

I took my buffalo nickel to a coin shop and we looked thru books together and examined the thing under a loupe. Turns out it's worth a hundred dollars! WOW!

Is it really worth a hundred dollars?

I know I'm late to this post (by a couple of years) but I just joined and I love coin collecting. Did you know it is not a "Buffalo"? It is actually a Bison and it all depends on condition and date when it comes to value.