The buffalo nickel is technically known as the “Five-Cent Indian Head” coin. It’s also commonly referred to as the “Buffalo Nickel” or “Bison Nickel” due to the bison on the back and often the “Indian Nickel” based on the portrait of a classic American native on the front. But have you ever wondered whose portrait decorates the front of the coin?

One of the most interesting versions of the Indian head nickel is the 1937-D. The story goes that a worker at the Denver Mint polished a Buffalo Nickel die to remove “clash marks” — the marks and scratches that occur when dies are stored in direct contact with each other. Unfortunately, this worker did his job a little too thoroughly and not only removed all the clash marks but one of the buffalo’s legs as well. Amazingly, this mistake was not caught until after thousands of these “three-legged nickels” had been minted and put into circulation.

Chief John Big Tree was actually born Isaac Johnny John in Buffalo New York. Big Tree was a member of the Seneca Nation and an actor who appeared in 59 films between 1915 and 1950. One of his most famous films, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) also starred John Wayne.

We exist to eliminate bottlenecks in new product development by integrating the people, processes, and platform you need to source custom parts.

Due to his association with Wild Bill Cody and the Wild West Show, Iron Tail was one of the most famous Native American celebrities of the late 19th and early 20th centuries and a popular subject for professional photographers who circulated his image across the continents.

After his surrender, Two Moons chose to enlist as an Indian Scout for the same General to whom he had not long since surrendered. Because of Two Moons' pleasant personality, the friendliness that he showed towards the whites as well as his ability to get along with the military, he was appointed head Chief of the Cheyenne Northern Reservation.

Create high quality custom mechanicals with precision and accuracy.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We may use the info you submit to contact you and use data from third parties to personalize your experience.

Choosing the correct reamer for your application can be challenging as it depends on several factors. A straight-fluted hand reamer will be ideal if a one-off reamed hole is required. However, a machine reamer is better suited for maximum precision and productivity.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We may use the info you submit to contact you and use data from third parties to personalize your experience.

An alignment reamer is a powerful reaming tool commonly used in the manufacturing industry to improve holes’ accuracy. It works by enlarging and aligning holes, ensuring they are straight and parallel, which is essential for many mechanical components to function correctly. Due to its precision, the alignment reamer is widely used in machinery and equipment manufacturing, where even the smallest inaccuracies could lead to significant problems. By using an alignment reamer, manufacturers can ensure their products are of the highest quality and meet the strictest standards.

The Five Cent Indian Head coin was designed in 1912 by James Earl Fraser as part of the Mint’s campaign to beautify American coinage. It’s known as being one of the more distinct and eye appealing coins capturing the beauty of the American West. This unique coin stepped away from the traditional Lady Liberty by featuring a realistic portrait of a Native American front combined with a bison on the reverse to showcase the beauty of the American West. It was produced at the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco Mints from 1913 to 1938.

We exist to eliminate bottlenecks in new product development by integrating the people, processes, and platform you need to source custom parts.

Reamers are typically only used on metals and are not compatible with plastics. The plastic will deflect away from the reamer, resulting in an inaccurate hole diameter.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We may use the info you submit to contact you and use data from third parties to personalize your experience.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We may use the info you submit to contact you and use data from third parties to personalize your experience.

Big Tree claimed to be one of three Native American chiefs whose profiles were composited to make the portrait featured on the obverse of the United States' Indian Head Nickel and further claimed that his profile was used to create the portion of the portrait from the top of the forehead to the upper lip.

When a hole is needed in a part, it is usually cut with a drill. However, drills do not produce precisely sized holes, as their primary function is to remove large amounts of material as quickly as possible. Drills are ideal for holes that do not need precise sizes and smooth surface finishes, for example, holes for fasteners.

No matter who the third chief was, the compilation image for the obverse design depicts a large, powerful portrait of an Indian, facing right. The appearance is rough looking, unlike the smooth cheeks and other facial features that typify the many versions of Lady Liberty that have been on U.S Coins. We do know who the model was for the reverse side of the coin, and it is commonly mistaken for a buffalo but is actually a bison on the reverse.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We may use the info you submit to contact you and use data from third parties to personalize your experience.

Hand reamers are designed to be used manually without the aid of a machine, so not with CNC machines. The rear end of the reamer shank is square so it can  engage with a tap wrench or spanner. The reamer is slightly tapered at the front to allow it to self-align in the hole, making it easier to use. Hand reamers are ideal for light-cutting jobs and are not as precise as machine reamers due to the potential for human error; therefore, they are not recommended for applications requiring tight tolerances.

Reamers, conversely, are used to enlarge an existing drilled hole to a precise size with a tight tolerance. Reamers are only designed to remove a small amount of material and typically have straight or helical flutes. Reamed holes can be produced manually or with a machine. Machine-produced reamed holes are preferred if maximum precision is required.

The first Buffalo Nickels were struck on February 22, 1913. They were unofficially introduced into limited circulation at the groundbreaking ceremony for the National American Indian Memorial in Staten Island, New York. Forty new nickels were sent to the ceremony to be distributed by President Taft to the attending Native American chiefs including Two Moons. (Despite the groundbreaking ceremony, the National American Indian Memorial was never actually built.)

James Earle Fraser, a former assistant of Augustus Saint-Gaudens who designed the ultra-high relief Double Eagle, was a prolific artist best known for his monumental “End of the Trail” Indian sculpture, created a truly unique design for the new coin. Interestingly enough, up until that time, the “Indians” portrayed on U.S. coins were primarily Caucasian with an Indian headdress, epitomized by Saint Gauden’s Greek Nike head on the 1907 Indian eagle. Fraser’s wanted a design that accurately portrayed Indians as they actually looked.

These reamers are the most commonly used and have either a straight or Morse tapered shank. Chucking reamers are sometimes also called machine reamers. The flutes on chucking reamers can either be straight or helical. These reamers are often fixed into a CNC or manual drill press, lathe, mill chuck, or collet, hence the name. The tip of the reamer typically has a 45-degree chamfer. A chucking reamer is utilized to increase the size of an existing drilled hole, to a more precise dimension with tighter tolerances.

Surprisingly enough, the actual design on the coin’s front is not any one particular person. That’s right, Fraser used a combination of three Indian chiefs to create his unique design. Also, for his Indian head depiction, Fraser used living models, something virtually unheard of in an era when the classical profile from Greece or Rome was considered the highest ideal of art. Three different Indians, Iron Tail, Two Moons, and though often debated, Chief John Big Tree sat for this famous composite likeness. The finished portrait possesses great character and shows the rugged individuality of the American Indian.

Access a wide breadth of capabilities through our highly vetted network.

Accelerate development with instant quotes, expert DFM, and automated production updates.

A ring or shell reamer is ideal for high-production-volume reaming of large-diameter holes. Create your free Fictiv account and request a CNC machining quote today — we machine complex parts at ridiculous speeds!

It’s interesting to learn they were each famous in their own way. Although there is some debate about the third Indian chief, Fraser noted Two Moons and Iron Tail by name and could not accurately recall the third chief. Despite the controversy, Chief John Big Tree profusely claimed that he was actually the third model.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We may use the info you submit to contact you and use data from third parties to personalize your experience.

A shell reamer usually has a hollow cylinder geometry and straight flutes and is utilized on both CNC and manual machines. Helical and twisted flutes are also utilized. The internal diameter of the reamer is sized to fit over an arbor. Quick replacement benefits shell reamers versus standard reamers, as only the cutting edges need to be replaced, not the entire shank. Spinning during reaming is prevented due to the slots on the rear of the reamer, enabling lug engagement on the arbor.

Shell reamers are best suited for holes larger than 0.75” in diameter.  Left-hand spiral flutes should be utilized for blind holes.

A drill reamer, also known as a reaming drill, allows for drilling and reaming in the same operation, saving time. A reaming drill is best suited for through-holes. It must be noted that if extremely precise holes are required, a drilling operation with a separate reaming operation is preferable. But, this type of reamer can provide cost savings and streamline the machining process if the precision requirements aren’t too stringent.

Expansion reamers are designed to increase their diameter by turning a screw, which then displaces the cutting edge radially outwards. This expansion allows tool wear compensation and fine control of different hole diameters. The modular design of these reamers, which are not as rigid as standard reamers, can only remove relatively small amounts of material. This means they do not last as long.

By the end of 1937, the Buffalo Nickel had been in production for the mandatory twenty-five years, and planning for its successor was well underway. It was to be replaced by the third coin to bear a likeness of one of our presidents, Thomas Jefferson. The Jefferson nickel continues in production to this day. By the late 1960s, few Buffalo Nickels were seen in circulation. It was the end of a series of coins that deserves more collector interest. In 2006, the image was reused for a special commemorative $50 gold piece --the USA's first 24k (pure gold) coin.

Two Moons (1847–1917) was one of the Cheyenne chiefs who took part in the Battle of the Little Bighorn also known as Custer’s last stand, along with other battles against the United States Army. Two Moons was the son of Carries the Otter, an Arikara captive who married into the Cheyenne tribe. Perhaps known best for his participation in battles such as the Battle of the Rosebud against General Crook in the Montana Territory, the Battle of Little Big Horn, and what would prove to be his last battle which was that of the Battle of Wolf Mountain. Two Moons was finally defeated in the battle at Wolf mountain by General Nelson A. Miles and would inevitably surrender his Cheyenne band at Fort Keogh in April 1877. But it doesn’t end there.

Iron Tail was an Oglala Lakota or Oglala Sioux Chief and a star performer with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. It was well documented that he and “Wild Bill” also known as Colonel William Cody, were best friends. Iron Tail was not a war chief and had no remarkable record as a fighter like Two Moon, he wasn’t a "medicine" man or conjurer, but he was a wise counselor and diplomat. Iron Tail was known to be dignified, quiet, and never given to boasting and seldom even made a speech. He cared nothing for gaudy regalia, but he always had a smile, was fond of children, horses, and his friends.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We may use the info you submit to contact you and use data from third parties to personalize your experience.

The Buffalo Nickel was officially introduced into circulation on March 4, 1913, and within a week Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber was expressing concern about how quickly the dies were wearing out during production. According to his estimates, Buffalo Nickel dies were wearing out and breaking more than three times faster than the Liberty Head Nickel dies. Barber and others at the Mint also believed the Buffalo Nickel wouldn’t hold up very well to ordinary wear and tear, and that in particular the date and the “FIVE CENTS” marking would wear away completely. To correct these problems, Barber prepared several revisions to the design, Fraser approved them, and this slightly revised Buffalo Nickel went into production right away. An interesting side note, Barber’s revised dies wore out even faster after his revisions, and the changes never did help with the wear problem.

Reamers can be made from HSS (High-Speed Steel), carbide, and high-alloy steel. Hole reaming is considered a finishing process.

Black Diamond, a bison from the Central Park Zoological Garden in New York, was said to be the model for the reverse. Fraser placed the buffalo on a mound, giving the appearance of strength and majesty. Yes, it is a bison on the nickel, not a buffalo. Technically, buffaloes are not found in the United States but found mostly in India and Africa. The mistake began when the first American settlers happened upon the Bison - they did not know what they were. The only animals they could really relate to were the Asian Water Buffalo. They started calling them buffalo for lack of a correct name, and the name stuck.

Our trained employees ensure your parts will be delivered on time and to spec.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We may use the info you submit to contact you and use data from third parties to personalize your experience.

This article will describe what reamers are, how they work, the different types of available reamers, and how to use them to achieve unparalleled precision effectively.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We may use the info you submit to contact you and use data from third parties to personalize your experience.

Tapered reamers are conical in shape with a specific angle. Tapered reamers are used to create a slight taper in pre-drilled cylindrical holes. Tapered holes are usually required to fit tapered pins for locating purposes or tapered shafts with Morse tapers, a standard taper used for tooling.

This type of reamer typically has multiple cutting bits attached around the periphery of a ring,  resembling a face mill. Ring reamers are utilized at high speeds, mostly for larger diameter holes. Limited expansion, a key design feature of most ring reamers, limits tool wear, resulting in higher accuracy and extended longevity.

Reamers are finishing tools designed to enhance the precision of a pre-drilled hole while creating a smooth surface finish. Both cylindrical and tapered holes can be produced with reamers. Reamed holes are required for precision applications such as tool and die making, combustion engine parts, airframe fastener holes, and firearms.