This Buffalo is graded MS67 by PCGS certification # 13012033. When examined in hand there is an attractive pale even toning on both the obverse and reverse. Original surface and luster is present with a full strike, including a fully struck horn on the obverse. A very pleasing eye appeal.
 
Excerpt from 2025 CoinWeek article.
 
"Obverse: The obverse of the 1938-D Buffalo or Indian Head nickel features an oversized bust of a Native American warrior. For this effigy, sculptor James Earle Fraser made a composite image of three well-known men: Chief Iron Tail of the Sioux, Big Tree of the Kiowa, and Two Moons of the Cheyenne. The composite indian wears two feathers in his hair and a braid running down the side of his head. The date (1938) is superimposed over the truncation of the bust, and the legend LIBERTY is off to the side at 2 o’clock on the rim.
 
Reverse: The central motif on the reverse was supposedly based on the buffalo named Black Diamond that lived at the New York Central Park Zoological Garden. Standard types display all of the animal’s four legs. The buffalo is standing on a small strip of land, below which is the denomination FIVE CENTS. Arcing above the animal’s back around the rim is the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The motto E PLURIBUS UNUM is squeezed between “AMERICA” and the animal’s back. As this type was struck at the Denver Mint, the D mintmark is found at the bottom of the design under the denomination.
Intriguingly, this design does not include the national motto IN GOD WE TRUST. This was due to Mint Director George Roberts informing Fraser that “the motto, ‘In God We Trust’, is not required upon this coin” (Burdette).
 
Edge: The edge of the 1938-D Indian Head (Buffalo) nickel is plain or smooth.
 
Designer: An American sculptor, James Earle Fraser, was active during the first half of the 20th century. Born in Minnesota, Fraser attended the Art Institute of Chicago and displayed some of his earliest artwork at the 1893 World’s Columbian and 1915 Panama Pacific Expositions, including his piece entitled End of the Trail. A large portion of his work centered around Native American themes and is embodied in his 1913 Indian Head Nickel design."