The 1913 Liberty Head nickel is an American five-cent piece which was produced in extremely limited quantities unauthorized by the United States Mint, making it one of the best-known and most coveted rarities in American numismatics. In 1972, one specimen of the five cent coin became the first coin to sell for over US$100,000; in 1996, another specimen became the first to sell for over US$1 million. A specimen was sold for US$3 million in a 2004 private sale, then resold for US$3.7 million at a public auction in 2010.
1913 Liberty Head Nickel (from the National Numismatic Collection).
1913 Liberty Head Nickel (from the National Numismatic Collection).
The Liberty Head nickel, sometimes referred to as the V nickel because of its reverse design, is an American five-cent piece. It was struck for circulation from 1883 until 1912, with at least five pieces being surreptitiously struck dated 1913. The obverse features a left-facing image of the goddess of Liberty.
Image: NNC US 1883 5C Liberty Nickel (no cents)
Image: NNC US 1883 5C Liberty Nickel (no cents)
Image: NNC US 1887 5C Liberty Nickel (cents)
A pattern for the nickel by Barber