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V nickels, also known as Liberty Head nickels, were designed by Charles E. Barber and were first released in 1883. The "V" nickname stems from the primary reverse device, which is a large Roman numeral V signifying the coin's face value of five cents. This feature caused some confusion early on when the V was the only indication of the coin's denomination, with the word CENTS nowhere to be found on the first 5.5 million or so Liberty nickels struck in 1883. The United States Mint soon added the inscription FIVE CENTS to the reverse of the coin, in addition to the V, and the design remained virtually unchanged for the next 30 years.
The last V nickels were struck for circulation in 1912, though five rolled off the presses in 1913 and were later revealed to the public by a former US Mint employee. The 1913 Liberty Head nickel, which is not a regular-issue coin as it was never formally released into circulation, is now considered one of the rarest and most valuable coins in all of numismatics.
In addition to the 1913 Liberty Head nickel, there are a few key dates worth noting in the series. These include the 1885 and 1886 Liberty Head nickels, which are genuinely scarce in all grades. Also ranking among key dates is the 1912-S Liberty Head nickel, which is the lowest-mintage business strike issue in the series (with only 238,000 struck) and alongside the 1912-D Liberty Head nickel represents the only year in the series when mintmarked examples were made.
Obverse Description
Lady Liberty with the word LIBERTY on her crown faces left with 13 stars around the periphery and the date positioned at the bottom center.
Reverse Description
Large V (roman numeral 5) is centered in the design surrounded by an ornate wreath with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The word CENTS was added after initial issues of 1883 failed to include this words allowing counterfeiters to plate coins in gold and sell them as 5 dollar pieces.
Catalog Information
GSID:
77931
Designer:
Charles E. Barber
Obverse Designer:
Charles Barber
Obverse Lettering:
LIBERTY, [Date]
Reverse Designer:
Charles Barber
Reverse Lettering:
V, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, E PLURIBUS UNUM
Weight (gr):
5 gr
Weight (oz):
0.1608 oz
Strike Type:
Business
Diameter:
21.2
Coin Shape:
Round
Edge:
Plain
Variety:
33 Coins
Coin Date:
Liberty (V) Nickel Set
Denomination:
5c
Designation:
MS
Coinage Type:
Liberty head nickel
Coinage Years:
1883-1912
Composition:
75% copper; 25% nickel
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Subject: I would like to contribute catalog info to CDN for Liberty (V) Nickel Set 5c 33 Coins MS
Body: Referring page: http://livetest.greysheet.com/prices/item/v-liberty-nickel-set-value-five-cents-business-strike/gsid/77931 GSID: 77931 Title: Liberty (V) Nickel Set 5c 33 Coins MS
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Coin Value History
Liberty (V) Nickel Set 5c 33 Coins MS
Value By Grade
Liberty (V) Nickel Set 5c 33 Coins MS
CPG (retail) values
Currency
Grade Range
Grading Authority
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Pricing
GSID:77931
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Values
Greysheet & CPG® Values
| Grade | CAC | CPG Value (Retail) | Greysheet Price (Wholesale) |
|---|---|---|---|
| MS66 |
|
$85,000 | $1,234 |
| MS66 | - | $67,500 | $1,234 |
| MS65 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| MS65 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| MS64 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| MS64 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| MS63 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| MS63 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| MS62 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| MS62 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| MS61 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| MS61 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| MS60 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| MS60 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| AU58 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| AU58 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| AU55 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| AU55 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| AU53 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| AU53 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| AU50 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| AU50 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| XF45 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| XF45 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| XF40 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| XF40 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| VF35 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| VF35 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| VF30 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| VF30 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| VF25 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| VF25 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| VF20 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| VF20 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| F15 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| F15 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| F12 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| F12 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| VG10 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| VG10 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| VG8 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| VG8 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| G6 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| G6 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| G4 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| G4 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| AG3 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| AG3 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
Liberty (V) Nickel 5c No Cents, 1883 MS [Type]
![Liberty (V) Nickel 5c No Cents, 1883 MS [Type]](https://images.greysheet.com/Ctc/CatalogEntry/ha_com_1314_3218-0.20200626064157466.jpg?MaxWidth=200&Mode=Pad&Scale=UpscaleCanvas&format=webp)
Worth: $3 – $18,000
1883 5c No Cents MS
Worth: $3 – $18,000
Liberty (V) Nickel 5c With Cents, 1883-1912 MS [Type]
![Liberty (V) Nickel 5c With Cents, 1883-1912 MS [Type]](https://images.greysheet.com/ctc/catalog/Vobv.jpg?MaxWidth=200&Mode=Pad&Scale=UpscaleCanvas&format=webp)
Worth: $1 – $4,600
1883 5c Cents MS
Worth: $16 – $4,600
1884 5c MS
Worth: $8 – $12,000
1885 5c MS
Worth: $125 – $26,000
1886 5c MS
Worth: $58 – $35,000
1887 5c MS
Worth: $5 – $10,000
1888 5c MS
Worth: $10 – $9,000
1889 5c MS
Worth: $5 – $12,000
1890 5c MS
Worth: $3 – $12,000
1891 5c MS
Worth: $2 – $12,500
1892 5c MS
Worth: $2 – $26,400
1893 5c MS
Worth: $2 – $16,000
1894 5c MS
Worth: $5 – $12,000
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