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My ever-growing passion for learning more about conservation and the wildlands of this country brought me to the book American Buffalo by Steven Rinella. I became particularly interested in the history he brought up about the Buffalo Nickel. Initially minted in 1913, the coin bears a Native American on the front and American Bison on the back. Designed by sculptor James Earl Fraser, the bison was modeled after one in New York City by the name of Black Diamond. The bull was born into captivity and remained there for the entirety of his life. This unfortunate circumstance can be noted by a critic of the coin quoting “It’s head droops as if it had lost all hope in the world, and even the sculptor was not able to raise it.” But not all hope was lost for the rest of his kind. Fast forward 100 years, with many thanks to environmental and conservation efforts, the bison population has grown from a few hundred to an estimated 500,000 roaming free across the US.

The Buffalo Nickel is also meant to bring good luck to those who carry one. Theodore Roosevelt was known to carry one in his pocket because in pioneer times if you had a nickel, you were doing okay and could afford lodging, furs, food, or a stiff drink. The Buffalo Nickel was also harder to come by than the regular nickel. Thus becoming a totem to those who had one.

This pendant features a hand-sawn out buffalo nickel cast into solid Sterling Silver which hangs from an 18” or 20” Sterling Silver chain with a Sterling Silver lobster clasp. A handmade extension chain is added to vary the desired wearing length and has a Sterling Stamped detail and my maker’s mark “ EG .925” on the back for authenticity. A patina was applied to accentuate the details before bringing them to a high shine.