Another specimen formed the plot (and starred in) an episode of a major TV series, Hawaii Five-0. Following this news, the Walton heirs kept quiet about things and for forty years, nobody knew what had ever happened to the Walton specimen. J.V. The 1913 Liberty Head nickels are some of the most valuable and rarest US coins in existence with each one worth many millions of dollars. Horse-drawn carriages ruled the roads and in New York City, they also reigned supreme on the just-completed Brooklyn Bridge. The 1913 Liberty Head nickel was reported in April to have sold in a private sale for $5 million. 1883 "No Cents" Gold-Plated Liberty Head Nickel in Showpak. In 1913 an unscrupulous mint employee produced five Liberty Head nickels dated 1913. In conjunction with their annual World's Fair of Money, they made arrangements to exhibit all four 1913 Nickels. However, they are also highly counterfeited. Liberty V Nickel Value Facts: Date – Mint Rarity: 1885 (starts at $400) is the key date of this series and followed closely by the 1886 (value starts at $200) and 1912-S (value starts at $140) and the semi-key dates are the 1883 With CENTS, 1888, 1894 and 1912-D and they start in value from $15 to $20. He displayed the coins at the 1920 American Numismatic Association convention in Chicago. US Liberty Nickels (1883-1913) Side Refine Panel. Early in that year it was decided to replace the familiar Liberty Head nickel, in circulation since 1883, with a new design, popularly called the “Buffalo” nickel, featuring on the obverse an Indian or Native American, and on the reverse a buffalo (more properly a bison in terms of zoology). One theory says that the coins were struck as advance test pieces around July of 1912, with the expectation that the series would continue the following year anyway. Be sure to visit our Liberty Head V Nickel Forum if you need help. The 1913 Liberty Head nickel was included as part of a date collection of nickels, without any particular notice being made of it. Liberty Nickel The Liberty Head Nickel represented the second design for the newly introduced nickel denomination. The coin had become iconic to a generation of Americans, so when specimens were quietly sold off as singles from the original set of 5 or 6 (which until then had been held intact,) they sold for exorbitant sums of money, as much as $3,750 each. It is said that cable cars and tramways would run behind schedule or sometimes even come to a dead stop because the conductor was too busy checking all the nickels he collected in fares, trying to find a 1913 Liberty Head. In 2007 a 1913 Liberty changed hands for the astounding sum of $5,000,000! Ron Guth: On April 25, 2013, the long-lost, then rediscovered, 1913 Liberty Nickel once owned by George Walton sold at auction for $3,172,500 to Jeff Garrett of Lexington, KY and Larry Lee of Panama City, FL. The McDermott Specimen, NGC PR-55, named for the former owner (and vest-pocket coin dealer) J.V. Apparently, Walton's heirs never clarified matters. Interestingly, both the first and last years of the series are a source of numismatic intrigue. 818 NORTH CASCADE AVENUE In 1913 the Liberty Head design gave way to the Indian Head/Buffalo type. All of this hype and publicity have combined to drive an incredible demand for ownership of this classic United States coin. The 1913 Liberty Nickel. $42.50 1883 "No Cents" Gold-Plated Liberty Head Nickel in Showpak. Coupled with the fact of this 6-hole case, we have early attempts by various interested parties to give a provenance for each specimen, and six specimens show up on these lists. No Liberty nickels were made of that date officially, but some years later collectors were stunned to learn that five 1913 examples had surfaced—all of them apparently made on the sly by someone at the Philadelphia Mint. Like other coin types, V-Nickel values can … The announcement from CNEWS went like this: NEW ORLEANS (AP)- A 1913 Liberty Head nickel was minted under mysterious circumstances, owned by royalty and celebrated in an episode of TVs Hawaii Five-O was sold for $3 million US. By using The Spruce Crafts, you accept our, The Liberty Head Nickels Controversial Beginnings, An Early Media Darling - The Liberty Head Nickel. The Five Known Specimens of the 1913 Liberty Nickel, The Eliasberg Specimen of the 1913 Liberty Nickel, Buffalo Nickel Key Dates, Rarities, and Varieties, Liberty Head "V" Nickel Values and Prices, Profile of the 1895 Proof Morgan Silver Dollar, 10 Rarest and Most Valuable Coins in the World, Man Finds $126,500 Penny in Fifty-Cent Roll of Coins, Washington Presidential Dollar Error Coin Gallery, Insider's Tips for Buying and Selling Coins, Buffalo (Indian Head) Nickel Values and Prices. Mrs. Norweb wanted to buy the 1913 and made this known to her fellow countrymen. Liberty Head Five Cents (1883-1913) Introduced early in 1883, this type was a great improvement over its predecessor, both technically and aesthetically. We meet up with Doug Mudd, former Manager of the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution and current Museum Curator of the Edward C. Rochette Money Museum to talk about the Bebee-ANA Specimen 1913 Liberty "V" nickel. Learn More About U.S. Liberty Head V Nickels (1883-1913) The U.S. Liberty Head nickel is also referred to as the V nickel because of the large letter “V” on the coin’s reverse side, which is actually the Roman numeral five. 1883-1913 LIBERTY HEAD NICKEL Chester Alan Arthur was in the White House, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt was napping in a nursery in Hyde Park, New York. Ending 11 Jan at 21:56 EST 5d 2h. In one well-publicized court trial, a jury was unable to convict the alleged scammer because nobody could testify that he had ever said that the coins were worth $5. MEMBERSHIP: 800-514-2646 How Much Liberty Nickels are Worth: Liberty Nickel Values & Coin Price Chart For Sale 976 Auctions 1 Wishlist 12 Collection 934 Liberty Head "V" Nickel (1883-1913) In 1913 an unscrupulous mint employee produced five Liberty Head nickels dated 1913. Filter. Of course, while many people explain away the 6-hole coin case as meaningless, and those who compiled early provenance lists for the 1913 Liberty Nickel got lots of facts wrong and sometimes listed owners (or coins) twice. These were the first official strikes of nickels in 1913; the Mint's official records do not record any Liberty Head nickels produced that year. A U.S. Then, just over 2 years later, it sold once more for $3 million in a private transaction. And they're right! Over the years, the “fab five” have become some of the world’s most valuable coins and have consistently been among the price leaders in the numismatic market — each time one appears at auction, it is a major numismatic event! The American Numismatic Association is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to educating The king of the 1913 Liberty Head nickel $50 offer, and the one many others likely followed in quoting that value, was Fort Worth, Texas, dealer B. Max Mehl. C $516.72. Subsequently, the Walton 1913 Liberty Head Nickel was loaned to the American Numismatic Association where it was displayed for many years. And each time a 1913 Liberty Nickel specimen changed hands, the price went up. 0 bids. 1899-1912 Liberty Head Nickel Set. F/S, MARC Susan is an avid coin collector of over 30 years, and has written 150 articles for The Spruce. The Indian Head (Buffalo) nickel was introduced in February of 1913, replacing the Liberty Head design. But it’s the coin’s back story that adds to its cachet: It was surreptitiously and illegally cast, discovered in a car wreck that killed its owner, declared a fake, forgotten in a closet for decades then declared the real deal. 1913 Liberty Head Nickel’s Debut The 1919 CCC meeting, where the nickel was first shown (and later remembered by the “older members” in 1934), was held on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 1919. Unfortunately, Walton never made it, having lost his life in a car crash while en route. In each advertisement, he would preface his coin listing with some discussion, often about the 1913 Liberty Head nickel. He was fond of carrying it in his pocket and taking it out at convention hotel bars to show and tell everyone that it was one of just five known and very valuable. A man named Samuel Brown worked at the mint in 1913 and also introduced all five coins at the American Numismatic Association in 1920. After McDermott died in 1966, the nickel was sold at auction in 1967 to Aubrey E. Bebee. Only five examples of 1913 "V" nickel are known and each one is worth well over three million dollars. It was at this time that they gained their current nicknames based on the collectors who purchased them — the five coins are commonly known as the Norweb, Eliasberg, Olsen, Walton and McDermott specimens. In 1913 the Indian Head nickel (often referred to as a Buffalo nickel) replaced the Liberty and the United States Mint has no record of any Liberties being struck. 1912 P Liberty Nickel: Coin Value Prices, Price Chart, Coin Photos, Mintage Figures, Coin Melt Value, Metal Composition, Mint Mark Location, Statistics & Facts. GENERAL: 800-367-9723 He promised to pay $50 (the large sum of money back then) to anybody who found one in their pocket change and sent it to him. The Spruce Crafts uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. The coin had become iconic to a generation of Americans, so when specimens were quietly sold off as singles from the original set of 5 or 6 (which until then had been held intact,) they sold for exorbitant sums of money, as much as $3,750 each. Learn More About U.S. Liberty Head V Nickels (1883-1913) The U.S. Liberty Head nickel is also referred to as the V nickel because of the large letter “V” on the coin’s reverse side, which is actually the Roman numeral five. Burns and Furman have loaned Walton specimen to the American Numismatic Association for display in their Money Museum. Of course, these coin dealers had plenty of nickels to sell to unsuspecting people. One such coin is the Eliasberg 1913 Liberty Head Nickel, the finest of only five known examples of the issue and the first collectible coin ever to sell for more than $1 million. | Browse our daily deals for even more savings! It remained in his collection until 1996, when it sold for $1,485,000. Today, these nickels are worth millions of dollars whenever one of them comes to auction. Not much is known about the actual minting of the 1913 Liberty Head Nickels. The ANA serves the academic You will find a lot of information below such as mintages, specifications, and images. A Legitimate 1913 Liberty Nickel is Condemned as a Fake, The Reward For the Missing 1913 Liberty Nickel. There is one more intriguing bit of lore that points to the very real possibility of a sixth specimen. FDR, after all, was only one year old at the time. The 1913 Liberty Head Nickel is one of the most valuable coins in the world. Indian Head Cents (1859-1909) Lincoln Cents (1909-Date) Two and Three Cents. | Free shipping on many items! C $62.34. Entrepreneur and enterprising coin dealer B. Max Mehl of Fort Worth, Texas, spent a fortune advertising for specimens of the 1913 Liberty Head Nickel. Shop by Category. Careful comparisons had been made, and they became convinced that their coin was worth another look, perhaps by a different expert. George Walton purchased this coin in 1942 from Eric P. Newman. These coins were minted between 1883 and 1913. The Liberty Head Nickel type, also called a V Nickel because of the large V on its reverse, was a well-publicized coin from the very beginning. Rumors began to fly, fueled by the press and by coin dealers. Also called the V nickel, for the Roman numeral on the back, the Mint realized that a serious mistake had been made. This Finest Known 1913 Liberty Head V Nickel is in the top 5 most valuable coins ever sold; Coins worth million! The 1913 Liberty Head Nickel is unique among American coins for one simple reason: it should not exist. However, a master die was created for the 1913 Liberty Nickel, and a five-coin test run was struck. Be sure to visit our Liberty Head V Nickel Forum if you need help. Buy & Sell This Coin. Most people would agree that there are more artistically beautiful coins such as the St. Gaudens $20 gold coin. It is known that dies had been produced for a 1913 Liberty Nickel, as the decision had not been finalized to produce the Indian Head Nickel. An unnamed California collector has paid $5 million for the Eliasberg specimen 1913 Liberty Head nickel, a record price for the coin and the second highest price ever paid for any rare coin. The long-lost piece was re-discovered when the family brought it to be authenticated at the 2003 ANA convention in Baltimore as part of a reunion: the first display of all five coins since the set had been broken up in the 1940s. The creator actually pushed and carefully molded the 0 so it looks like a three even with the “bulb” serifs. King Farouk of Egypt reportedly had two different 1913 Liberty Nickel specimens in his world-class coin collection at different times. Brown related that a master die had been prepared for the 1913 Liberty head nickels, and a few pieces had been run off to test the die. The year 1913 was when the old Liberty head or “V” design was replaced by the new Buffalo design — no Liberty nickels with a 1913 date were supposed to be produced. 1 2. Mehl sparked a nationwide treasure hunt for the nickel that was worth $50, a princely sum of money during the Depression Era. The lost 1913 Liberty Nickel had been found! Apparently, U.S. Treasury officials have concluded that they were legally struck since they've never been confiscated like the 1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles were. They stated that the new Liberty Head Nickel was about to be recalled by the Mint because of the "error" of omitting the denomination. It was presumed lost. and encouraging people to study and collect coins and related items. Mint officials failed to place the word CENTS on the coin, and it wasn't long before enterprising scammers began plating the nickels in gold and passing them off as $5 gold pieces! C $20.62 shipping. This catalog listed the prices he would pay for scores of other coins, (plus it had other useful information about coins, foreign and domestic.). For those not aware, the Liberty Head nickel design was slated to be retired following those… Whichever theory you subscribe to, it's clear that the coins left the Mint in some unauthorized fashion, and indeed, no word of them surfaced at all until 1920, after the statute of limitations for theft had safely run out. Save this search: Items in search results. The American Numismatic Association is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to educating Though not the first to proclaim the 1913 Liberty Head nickel’s rarity, he was undoubtedly the one who spent the most advertising dollars in … Shipping and handling. 1883 Liberty Head V Nickel w/Cents Good Details (Damage) $7.99. THE WORLD THIS WEEK The appraisers at Heritage Auctions, where a 1913 Liberty Head nickel is set to be auctioned in April, certainly think so. In addition, for just 50 cents, you could send away for his Star Rare Coin Encyclopedia. The story of this famous coin goes back to 1913. Thus, all 1913-dated nickels were supposed to carry the new design. They had found a 1913 Liberty Head Nickel in Walton's effects at home following his death, and taken it to a leading numismatic firm for authentication. The Liberty Head nickel, sometimes referred to as the V nickel because of its reverse (or tails) design, is an American five-cent piece. The first information that a 1913 Liberty head nickel might have been struck came in December 1919, when coin dealer Samuel W. Brown placed advertisements in numismatic publications, offering to buy any such nickels. (It currently resides in PCGS capsule number 999999-001.) The new type was introduced in 1883 and struck until 1913. Although authorities found thousands of dollars worth of coins at the scene of the wreck, the 1913 Liberty Head Nickel was missing. It is worth noting that the second-best specimen of the 1913 Liberty Nickel, the Olsen coin, (graded Proof-64 by PCGS and NGC) also sold privately for $3 million on May 20, 2004. The 1913 Liberty Nickel is one that has been surrounded in mystery since it's discovery. The existence of these nickels was unknown until December 1919, when an advertisement placed in the The Numismatist by Samuel W. Brown offered to purchase any example for $500. It is believed that he used coin dies created in case the dies for the Buffalo nickel were not ready for production in time. The story caught my attention because, many years ago, I just might of had that very nickel in my hand. The Eliasberg Specimen, PCGS, and NGC PR-66, once owned by Louis Eliasberg and now on the auction block, to be sold Jan. 2, 2007 by Stacks. Walton enjoyed displaying it at coin shows throughout the South for many years - along with other objects from his collection. The Mint changed the design of the Liberty Nickel to add the word CENTS about halfway through the mintage run. Each time a specimen became available, the price got higher, the hype became louder, and the legend grew deeper. Why is the 1913 Liberty Nickel so Valuable? The 1913 Liberty Head nickel is one of only five known to exist. Liberty Head Five Cents (1883-1913) Introduced early in 1883, this type was a great improvement over its predecessor, both technically and aesthetically. 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