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Liberty Head V nickels: 1883 without CENTS, and the ones that are not a 1913
Liberty Head nickels (1883–1912) are copper-nickel, not silver. 1883 comes with and without CENTS. 1885, 1886, and 1912-S are the keys. A 1913 Liberty nickel is a five-piece rarity, not a coffee-can coin.
A Liberty Head nickel (V nickel) is the five-cent piece with Liberty in a coronet, struck 1883 through 1912. Charles Barber again. Copper-nickel. There is no silver in it. The reverse is a Roman V.
1883 without CENTS
The first 1883 nickels said V and did not say CENTS. People gold-plated them and passed them as $5 gold. The Mint added CENTS the same year. Both 1883 types exist. A plated no-CENTS is a racketeer nickel — a story, not a half eagle. How shops check authenticity.
Common vs the ones we pull
Common 1900s V nickels: a couple of dollars worn. Keys: 1885, 1886, 1912-S. 1912-D is the first Denver nickel and better than a 1907. 1912-S is the scarce one.
1913 Liberty nickels: five proofs, famous, not a jar coin. If someone emails you a 1913 V nickel, assume a problem. Error-coin hype.
Extra history
The Shield nickel came first (1866–1883). The V nickel replaced it. Buffalo replaced the V in 1913 — which is why a genuine 1913 Liberty is a scandal and a museum piece.
What a shop pays
Common: a small type bid. 1883 no-CENTS: a type add, more if original and not plated. Keys: we look them up. Don’t clean.
People also ask
Are V nickels silver? No.
Is every 1883 rare? No. Both types are collected. No-CENTS is the story coin, not automatically a key.
Is 1912-S the last year? Yes for circulation Liberty nickels.
Part of the coin and money library · visitors & collectors
Dateless V nickels still show the coronet and the V. They are not Buffalos and not war nickels. A gold-colored 1883 no-CENTS is plated copper-nickel until we prove otherwise — we will test it in front of you.
1912-S is the last-year S mint. 1912-D is the first Denver nickel. Both beat a 1902. Neither is a 1913.
Same jar as Shield era change and Buffalos: three nickel stories, one coffee can.
The nickel before this one: Shield nickels.