Sold for $126,500 via Heritage Auctions (January 2007). Buffalo Nickel Series (1913)ġ918 Buffalo nickel. Otherwise, the value of a V Nickel depends largely on its scarcity and date-an 1889 V Nickel in good condition can be priced around $10, while fair market value for an 1885 V Nickel in uncirculated condition can be upwards of $1,500. Today, these nickels are worth millions of dollars. It is believed that he used coin dies in case the dies for the Buffalo nickel were not ready for production in time. In 1913, a Mint employee produced five Liberty Head nickels. This omission led to two varieties in the first year of production. The Mint added the word “cents” to the reverse of the coin after some started to gold-plate the coin and pass them off as five dollar gold pieces. Barber was tasked with creating the design, and large quantities were produced for nearly thirty years. Its history is rich with production errors and scandals. The Liberty Head nickel is often referred to as the “V” nickel because of its reverse design. In 1866, President Andrew Johnson approved a bill authorizing the coinage of five-cent pieces composed of nickel and copper. Because nickel wasn’t a precious metal, people weren’t interested in hoarding it. War production, however, had expanded America’s industrial capacity, and more common metals such as nickel were readily available in large quantities. Without coinage, it was impossible to make simple daily transactions like buying groceries and sending mail.Īfter the war ended in 1865, it took months for precious metals to file back into circulation. Coins nearly vanished overnight, and the Mint didn’t have enough resources in gold and silver to keep up with demand. Widespread panic led to the hoarding of money, especially precious metals like gold and silver. In 1861, when Southern states began seceding from the Union and the Civil War was underway, America and its currency were in crisis. The history of the nickel dates back to the American Civil War.

Us liberty coins 1925 used