It is hard to fathom the amount of coinage in existence. If we completely neglect world coinage and simply focus on just the United States, it still is very hard to imagine the amount of history wrapped up into designs, denominations, and series spanning over 230 years. Now keep that thought rolling around in your mind because as we introduce this next coin in our blog series covering Whitman Publishing’s 100 Greatest U.S. Coins, you will understand why it has such a major influence on the numismatic hobby. Once pegged at number one for years, it has only recently been knocked down a smidge due to the influx of highly sought after coins entering the coin market. Author Jeff Garrett helps us navigate the mystery of a coin that he simply states, “should not exist.”
#2 - 1913 Liberty Head Nickel
The Liberty Head nickel series ended in 1912 as the introduction of the Buffalo nickel series took place in the following year of 1913. With that being said, Garrett’s statement referring to the 1913 Liberty Head nickel makes complete sense. Why is it even a coin in the first place and how did it get made?
Its existence was teased by one Samuel Brown in 1919, offering the numismatic/collecting community a $500 reward for finding any one of the 1913 Liberty Head nickels. This was a ploy introduced by Brown to legitimize the one that he had owned which was eventually held on exhibit at the 1920 annual convention of the American Numismatic Association in August. Of the five that were said to exist when it all came down to it, Brown ended up owning all five. How did he get the coins? No one knows for sure, but Garrett explains that Brown was the clerk for the United States Mint from 1912 to 1913, insinuating that he indeed would have the capability of making the coins using Mint equipment alongside other accomplices.
The five nickels changed many hands in the years following, completely being split up in the 1940s and making their way to different buyers. One of them went to King Farouk of Egypt’s collection which was sold after he died in 1954. However, the 1913 Liberty Head nickel was left out of the sale, making its way into the hands of the Norweb family who would eventually donate it to the Smithsonian. One coin went to Louis Eliasberg, another appeared on Hawaii Five-O as the object of a crook’s desire, and a fourth coin went to the ANA’s collection which was donated by Aubrey and Adeline Bebee.
A fifth nickel was unknown in its whereabouts for years as its location was subject to many rumors. It was said that it was lost in the early 1960s during a fatal car accident of its last recorded owner, George O. Walton. However, after thousands of emails and letters and even a $10,000 reward offered for the finding of the coin, it ended up being in the possession of the heirs of the Walton estate the entire time. The heirs brought the coin to the August 2003 convention of the ANA in Baltimore to be examined by experts, including author Jeff Garrett. It was indeed declared genuine and would reunite with its four other companions. All five of the 1913 Liberty Head nickels are together again.
In 1960, the nickel in a Choice Proof condition was said to have been worth $50,000. By this fourth edition of the publication (2015), it estimated a worth of $6,000,000.
