The Buffalo Nickel

When my brother and I were little, 6 and 8, my father brought home one night a paper sack of coins and several dark blue coin collecting books. Right then began a love of coins. We spent hours and weeks combing through all those Lincoln pennies, buffalo nickels, dimes, quarters, looking for an R, S, D, and filling those books. When I found "The Buffalo Nickel" in my school library, I knew I had a treasure in hand. It is the story of the creation of the buffalo nickel. Do you know that a new coin replaces the old every 25 years? That the artist is commissioned to create the coin? And, my goodness, have you ever thought about how coins are made? Taylor Morrison gives us a wonderful story in James Earle Fraser, creator of the buffalo nickel, sometimes referred to as the Indian head nickel. James's story is so representative of the importance of time and place. He lived to see the end of one era into the next. The Fraser family lived in the Dakota Territory in the 1880's, where his father was an engineer for a railroad and gone much of the time. James had two kinds of companions: old trappers who stopped by and occasional Sioux Indians looking for animals to hunt. Even a whittler had impact on the young boy. The family returned to Chicago when James was a teen and he began studying art and created a sculpture of a weary Indian on horseback, reminiscent of Remington and Russell. "The End of the Trail" earned him the opportunity to study in Paris. When he returned to the States, he began working for a coin maker and decided to apply to create the new nickel. He thought a plains Indian and buffalo should go together on a coin as distinctly American. The complicated coin making process is shown over the next several pages. On February 17, 1913, the U.S. Mint began production. On Feb. 22, President Taft presented nickels to a number of chiefs in a special ceremony on Staten Island. The three chiefs who posed for a composite likeness were especially pleased. Morrison's artwork is intensely colored and vibrant, much as you see on the cover. Rich is a good word to describe each page, even those featuring browns and grays. Although written as an information book, this extraordinary book could be given as a special gift for the child who collects coins or Native American memorabilia or the like. Highly recommended! Other books to read: End of the Trail: The Odyssey of a Statue Coin Collecting 101 What You Need to Know Coin Collecting For Dummies (For Dummies (Sports & Hobbies)) The New York Times Guide to Coin Collecting: Do's, Don'ts, Facts, Myths, and a Wealth of History The Complete Guide to Lincoln Cents

This book is perfect for homeschooling unit studies or just pleasure reading. My four year old daughter was zoned in from start to finish. Absolutely beautiful artwork and very interesting subject matter. Highly recommended!

Having been a teacher of gifted children, it is exciting to have a book such as "The Buffalo Nickel" to offer them. Morrison's telling of the non-fiction story develops their appreciation of American history; the beauty of the artwork teaches a sense of dignity; and the respect for the sculptor helps all children learn about the importance of excellent work. Gifted children need fiction and fantasy, but they also need the challenge of great minds working on great things. This book takes them behind the scenes and tells an interesting story of an important American.

This book would make a fine gift for someone wishing to introduce a child to a little history of the old west, while at the same time acquainting them with an outline of the coin minting process. Accompanied by many illustrations (nicely printed book), the text is suitable for younger children (I'd say up to 10 years old or so) and will offer a pleasant insight into the life of the man who designed one of our nation's most distinctive coins. Definitely recommended.-- Greg Burns-- Editor, The NASC Quarterly, ...-- Editor, The GlenCoin News, ... (pending)