The 1913 Buffalo Nickel’s Type 1 reverse remains one of the most sculptural designs in U.S. coinage, and this monochrome study isolates its essential form. While color has been eliminated, the drawing retains the coin’s metallic luster, achieved through layered applications of Faber-Castell and Prismacolor pencils in black, white, and the full spectrum of greys. This approach allows the surface to shimmer with the same vitality as struck metal, while also inviting close critique of Fraser’s modeling choices.

The bison is rendered with architectural weight: the shoulder mass, flank, and horn structure are carefully balanced against the slope of the raised mound. The drawing captures the asymmetry of the stance—the hooves gripping unevenly, the tail arcing as a counterbalance—that gives the animal its sense of tension and realism. The mound itself is treated not as a mere base but as sculptural terrain, grounding the composition in a frontier landscape.

The typography of “FIVE CENTS,” perched atop the mound, is faithfully depicted as both anchor and vulnerability. In monochrome, its raised position appears precarious, underscoring why the Mint later recessed the denomination. The study succeeds in highlighting this tension between strength and fragility, mass and margin.

As a drawing, the study demonstrates mastery of tonal layering: highlights are built with white pencil to suggest reflected light, while mid-tones and shadows are modulated through subtle gradations of grey. This technique preserves the illusion of luster, a quality often lost in photographic reproductions. The bison’s musculature is articulated with precision, though the flank could benefit from slightly deeper tonal transitions to suggest volume beneath the hide. The mound’s contour is convincingly modeled, yet the transition between ground and animal might be softened to avoid a cutout effect.

The layered pencil work underscores how light interacts with relief, with highlights blooming across the bison’s shoulder and horn while shadow pools beneath the belly and along the mound’s slope. By sustaining luster within a monochrome palette, the study bridges the gap between technical rendering and the tactile brilliance of the coin itself.

By isolating form from patina and color, the study reveals the reverse’s compositional imbalance—the bison set slightly off-center within the circular frame—a subtlety often overlooked in worn examples or catalog photography. In doing so, it affirms the role of drawing as scholarship: a medium that can both document and interrogate design.

This monochrome master study stands as a benchmark in the archive, offering a critical lens on one of the most ambitious reverse designs in American numismatics. It honors Fraser’s vision while also examining the vulnerabilities that led to its swift modification, bridging the gap between coinage and sculpture through the discipline of draftsmanship.