History of the Liberty Head V Nickel
The Liberty Head nickel is nicknamed the V nickel for the large Roman numeral on its reverse — and that numeral created one of the great scams in coin history. The first 1883 coins omitted the word CENTS, so con artists gold-plated them and passed them off as five-dollar gold pieces. The Mint hastily added CENTS mid-year.
Ironically, so many "No CENTS" 1883 nickels were saved as curiosities that they are now the cheapest coin in the series in high grade, while the corrected With CENTS coins of the same year are scarcer. Keys are the low-mintage 1885, 1886 and 1912-S.
The V nickel was struck from 1883 to 1913 in copper-nickel (75% copper, 25% nickel). The design is the work of Charles E. Barber. Each coin weighs 5.00 grams. Production took place at Philadelphia, plus Denver and San Francisco in 1912.
How much is a V nickel worth?
Condition drives everything in numismatics. A heavily worn V nickel and a pristine one can differ in price by a factor of ten or more, so treat the figures below as broad retail ranges for problem-free coins rather than fixed quotes.
For a live market check, recent sold listings beat out-of-date price guides every time. CoinVault Pro combines Numista catalog data with real eBay sold prices for every coin it recognizes, so you can see what buyers are actually paying this month — not what a book claimed years ago.
- Common dates, Good: $1.50–$4
- Common dates, XF: $15–$35
- 1883 No CENTS, MS-63: $50–$80
- 1885, Good: $400–$600
- 1912-S, Good: $120–$180
How to identify a genuine Liberty Head V Nickel
Authentication starts with the basics: weight, diameter, design details and the way the surfaces look. For the V nickel, check the following:
If anything feels off — the weight is wrong, the details are mushy, or the surfaces look cast rather than struck — get a second opinion before buying or selling. Valuable dates are exactly the coins counterfeiters target most.
- The 1912-S mint mark sits on the reverse, left of CENTS — the first S mint nickel ever.
- Gold-plated "racketeer" 1883 nickels are collectible novelties but the plating itself adds no bullion value.
- Date alterations target the 1885; the 5 should match the style of genuine examples.
Check your V nickel with CoinVault Pro
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