The 1996 film "American Buffalo" is based on the play of the same name by David Mamet. The title comes from the United States Buffalo Nickel coin. Two middle-age men and a young man living in a decaying inner city are friends. Don Dubro (Donny) is the proprietor of a small second-hand or junk store and Walter Cole (Teach) is a career criminal. Bobby is the young man who admires them. A coin collector buys a Buffalo Nickel (Indian Head Nickel) from Donny for a high price leading the men to investigate numismatics. They plan the robbery of the coin collector's residence. A Buffalo Nickel (minted 1913 to 1938) is shown along with a pair of well-known numismatic reference books including the famous "Red Book."

The play was set in Chicago but the film exteriors were shot in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. A man is walking the city streets.

Donny arrives at his second-hand goods store and opens it for business. He is joined by his friend Teach.

Teach asks Donny about a couple of souvenir items.

Both items are from the Chicago Century of Progress Exposition (World's Fair) held in 1933 and 1934. For some other items from the exposition please visit Century of Progress Bobby, a young man who hangs around the two older men, enters the store.

The shop is full of odds and ends which Donny considers "antiques."

Donny tells Teach that a few days ago a man came into the shop and asked the price of a Buffalo Nickel in a cabinet. Donny was going to ask for twenty-five cents but waits and the man offered him $50 for the nickel. They bargained for the nickel and settled on $90. Donny and Teach discuss visiting the man's residence and stealing what they expect to find, a valuable coin collection.

Two books on coins and numismatics appear.

The top book is A Guide Book of United States Coins or "Red Book", 38th Edition, 1985, by R. S. Yeoman. This is a standard numismatic work on U.S. coins. The second book is Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins by Walter Breen, a more specialized historical work.

Teach becomes curious about old coins.

He opens the "Red Book" to the Buffalo Nickel section.

"Nickel Five-Cent Pieces, Indian Head or Buffalo Type, 1913-1938."

Here the "Red Book" appears with a couple of shiny Lincoln Cents.

Teach implies that he is an expert at burglary and coins but isn't really. The men discuss the value of a 1929 Lincoln Cent with an 'S' mint mark. Bobby brings in a Buffalo Nickel and tries to sell it to Donny.

Teach asks to see the nickel and Bobby hands the nickel to Teach.

Both sides of the nickel are shown.

The coin date appears to be 1913.

The mint mark (if it exists) is at the bottom of the coin and under the thumb. This reverse was only used in 1913, in the following years a straight line appeared under the buffalo.

Donny offers Bobby five dollars for the coin.

The scheme falls apart when Donny and Teach begin arguing over whether the collection exists, whether Teach should bring a gun with him, and whether Bobby should go along with them. Teach gets angry and starts throwing things around the store.

Teach looks at a broken glass display.

The implication is that the men will go back to their humdrum lives.

Dustin Hoffman as Teach (Walter Cole)
Dennis Franz as Donny (Don Dubro)
Sean Nelson as Bobby
Director: Michael Corrente
Writers: David Mamet