I suggest that Nagy was the main owner, or a partner with Brown, although it is not known at what point in time Nagy and Brown acquired the nickels. | Privacy Policy. Please enter your email address. McDermott, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a coin dealer who in essence built his life around this 1913 Liberty Head nickel, in the 1950s carrying it as pocket change, to pull out at a restaurant or bar to proudly display, stating it was worth a small fortune. In 1913 the Liberty Head design gave way to the Indian Head/Buffalo type. In time, all five 1913 Liberty Head nickels were sold by Nagy as a group to Col. E.H.R. The V-Nickel, sometimes referred to as the Liberty Head Nickel, gets its V-Nickel name from the coins reverse design. These prices are not intended, and should not be relied upon, to replace the due diligence and – when appropriate – expert consultation that coin buyers and sellers should undertake when entering into a coin transaction. In 1996, numismatic history was made as Jay Parino paid over 1 million dollars for the Eliasberg specimen of the 1913 liberty nickel. The story of the 1913 Liberty Head nickel begins with a mystery — no one is sure how or why the five known pieces were produced. Liberty head nickels were made from 1883 to 1912. He lived until 1957, then went to his final reward. Green, eccentric son of millionairess Hetty Green, popularly known as the “Witch of Wall Street.” After his mother passed away, Col. Green, as he became known, released all inhibitions and … If anything, the Mehl advertising served to solidify the thought that only five were minted—for, surely, if more had been “out there,” they would have been found! So far as I know, Green never displayed them. At the ANA sale that summer, by which time I had left Paramount, the coin sold for the then record price of $46,000. Eric Newman’s collecting emphasis was on older issues such as American colonial coins, paper money, and numismatic history, and Liberty Head nickels, dated 1913 or otherwise, were not among his specialties. Times were difficult in the Depression years of 1930s, and the term, “Brother, can you spare a dime?” had true meaning. But it's the coin's back story that adds to its cachet: It was surreptitiously and illegally cast, discovered in a car wreck that killed its owner, declared a fake, forgotten in a closet for decades then declared the real deal. Eric Newman’s inquiry concerning the Green estate arrived at the right time, and the response he received was startling: No, the single St. Louis bill was not for sale by itself, but a group of bills, including the St. Louis note, could be purchased! After Farouk was ousted from the throne in 1952 by a military junta, his holdings were put up for sale. An account of Green and the 1913 Liberty Head nickel appears in my 1979 book, Adventures With Rare Coins, in case you might want to locate a copy (it has been out of print for years). In 1913, the Liberty Head design gave way to the Buffalo type. Disclaimer: The auction prices realized listed in the NGC Auction Central are compiled from a number of independent, third party sources in the numismatic community which NGC believes to be reliable. The fifth example of the 1913 Liberty Head nickel passed through several hands and became the property of George O. Walton, a North Carolina collector whose holdings, except this nickel, were auctioned by Stack’s a half century ago. Five nickels dated 1913 but featuring the old Liberty Head design were struck at the Philadelphia Mint. Newman had a personal connection with Green, for in the early 1930s, when Newman was a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, he was part of a group that utilized Col. Green’s private radio station on Star Island to communicate with the Admiral Byrd expedition in Antarctica—to guide them through an appendicitis emergency. Various people in the Treasury Department, including at the Mint, received The Numismatist and no doubt saw the listings. It thus became a showpiece in the greatest collection of United States coins ever formed—a cabinet complete with every date and mintmark from the 1793 half cent to the 1933 double eagle. The Eliasberg specimen is the finest known 1913 Liberty Head nickel. One and all examples had eluded his grasp! In time, all five 1913 Liberty Head nickels were sold by Nagy as a group to Col. E.H.R. united states nickel 1913 a34 769. liberty head 5 cent victory nickel 1883 1913 random year. It is believed that five specimens were struck at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia sometime between the Summer of 1912 and early February of 1913. 1913 1938 buffalo nickel starter collection w/27 coins new album. Certainly, a book-length biography of Green would make fascinating reading today. Can't Email or Call Right Now? A deal was struck! A grass roots interest had arisen, along with other hobbies (such as jigsaw puzzles, miniature golf, crossword puzzles, and attending movies), and all was well. Richard Ponterio The 1913 Liberty Head nickel was included as part of a date collection of nickels, without any particular notice being made of it. These five-cent pieces were minted for circulation by the U.S. Mint from 1883 to 1913. The first official striking of nickels by the Mint in 1913 were of the Buffalo design, and the official records have no record of Liberty Head nickels produced in that year. One of these is now a famous pattern with the head of Abraham Lincoln on the obverse and a blank reverse. In 1913 an unscrupulous mint employee produced five Liberty Head nickels dated 1913. Only 5 Proof specimens are known to exist. The Liberty Head nickel, sometimes referred to as the V nickel because of its reverse (or tails) design, is an American five-cent piece.It was struck for circulation from 1883 until 1912, with at least five pieces being surreptitiously struck dated 1913. Nickels from 1913 to 1938 are Indian head nickels. His 1913 Liberty Head nickel became a key attraction in the collection of Ambassador and Mrs. R. Henry Norweb of Cleveland. Finally, he was persuaded to put it into a small plastic holder, which he did, by which time the piece had become somewhat worn. No Liberty nickels were made that year officially, but years later collectors were stunned to learn that five 1913 examples had surfaced, all of them apparently made on the sly by someone at the Philadelphia Mint. Two are in permanent museum collections at The Smithsonian in Washington, DC and the American Numismatic Association Money Museum in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In 1977 I did the appraisal of the coin, then valued well into six figures, after which I facilitated its donation to the National Numismatic Collection in the Smithsonian Institution, where it remains as a centerpiece today. a redbook guide to shield & liberty head nickels 1866 to 1913 new&unused c.2015. All rights reserved. This was showcased in a spectacular reception held in the summer of 2003 just before the American Numismatic Association, and was hosted by Steve Geppi and John Snyder of Diamond International, arranged by Laura Sperber. No Liberty nickels were made of that date officially, but some years later collectors were stunned to learn that five 1913 examples had surfaced—all of them apparently made on the sly by someone at the Philadelphia Mint. 1913 but featuring the old Liberty Head nickel Brown, an established coin collector who lived in Philadelphia worked. Was how many 1913 liberty head nickel were made from the coins reverse design Green ’ s imagination were at... 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