The counterfeit has much softer details overall, which is especially noticeable when you look closer. You need to know more before concluding theyre Henning nickels rather than just standard-issue coins with those dates. Finest known. One tells us that the Liberty Head nickel bearing that date was producedunauthorized by the United States Mintby Mint employee Samuel W. Brown or someone else on his behalf. The reason for this becomes clear after examining the edge, which numismatists sometimes call the third side of a coin. cent or a 1913-S Indian Head 5-cent coin. In the photos above, note how the devices (the raised design elements) on the counterfeit have a rough, unnatural surface. If there is any doubt, consider NGC-certified coins, which are guaranteed to be authentic. This specimen is the only one of the 1913 Liberty Head V nickels that has circulation marks on it. Since all Henning nickels appear in circulated grades, this means the dies were made via the transfer process. That research shows that only 5 were made and all are accounted for. If you are uncertain whether the coin in your hand is the real deal, remember that NGC backs its determinations of authenticity and grade with the NGC Guarantee. These surreptitiously struck coins are of unknown origin, though there are some theories. In January 1924, Samuel Taking a genuine Liberty Nickel, usually dated 1903, 1910 or 1912. Both sides of this coin offer clues that it isn't genuine. A coin known as the the 1913 Liberty Head nickel sold for $3.1 million at an auction Thursday, according to UPI. If you have a V-Nickel that is from a limited series or a series that is considered scarce, or if you have a V-Nickel that appears to be in great shape, you may want to consider having it graded by a professional coin grading service such as PCGS or NGC. If youre looking for a nickel with investment potential that is slightly more within reach, check out the 1928 Buffalo nickel. The value of a V Nickel depends largely on its scarcity and date. An 1889 V Nickel in Good condition may be valued at around $10 while an 1885 V Nickel in Uncirculated condition could fetch more than $1,500 on the open market. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Coins (2008). Former Associate Business Editor, The Huffington Post. Eric P. Newman and B.G. The transaction was brokered by John Albanese. Accessed August 1, 2016. Eliasberg specimen. Coin graders not only put your coin through an extensive grading process to determine its overall condition, but will also verify the coins authenticity as well. Today, Henning nickels are relatively rare. In 1962, a man named George Walton wanted to find out what his 1913 Liberty Head nickel coin was worth. Want news like this delivered to your inbox once a month? A rare 1885 V-Nickel, however, may garner a premium of nearly $400. If the stars are crisp and clear with no signs of erosion, your coin may be in extremely fine condition. ! A number of professional grading services, including NGC and PCGS have given it a grade of 66. Fully in business by 1953, Henning rented a building in his hometown of Erial to house his DIY coin press. How much is it worth? April 25, 2007. In an online article for the Liberty Nickel Collector Society, Brian Schneider pulled this quote from the book The Complete Guide to Shield and Liberty Nickels (1995): It is intriguing and possibly instructive to note that 1920, the year when Brown announced his discovery, marked the expiration of the seven-year statute of limitations for prosecuting anyone who might have removed the coins from the Mint in 1913.. A coin known as the the 1913 Liberty Head nickel sold for $3.1 million at an auction Thursday, according to UPI. As a result, many fakes have been made over the years. ELIASBERG SPECIMEN. Fake 5. This new operation was disguised as the Childs Plastic Moulded Products Company. 1913 Liberty Head V Nickel Is There a Sixth Coin? Unfortunately, Walton died in a car crash just outside of Wilson, North Carolina on March 9, 1962, while on his way to a coin show to exhibit his nickel. WebThe first would be an altered date, as noted above. It is interesting that Henning claimed to have lost money doing this, since the main reason to produce counterfeit currency is profit. After Waltons death, it was inaccurately identified as having an altered date, and the coin sat in a family closet until July 2003, when the ANA arranged to have the four-known pieces on exhibit at the American Numismatic Association Convention in Baltimore. WebReal vs. While he was alive, he was known for carrying the coin with him and boasting about it to bar patrons. This coin is considered elusive and difficult to obtain. In 1962, Walton was on his way to a coin show when he died in a car crash. RELATED: 15 Shocking Auction Sales. But a few years later, in 2007, it was sold by Legend Numismatics and Morelan to a private collector in Southern California for $5 million. The fields also have much heavier die polishing lines than normal, which are especially noticeable going through the star above Libertys head. 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. April 26, 2013. Breaking up the set for the first time, they sold the coins to others. The coin is a facsimile of an 1894, which is the second most valuable date in the series. However, Variety 2 issues from Denver and in particular San Francisco are considered key dates. All Market Updates are provided as a third party analysis and do not necessarily reflect the explicit views of JM Bullion Inc. and should not be construed as financial advice. Another theory is that the Mints Medal Department might have lawfully issued them for cabinet purposes.. Is it still possible that it could be a Henning nickel? Myers and her brother, Ryan Givens, celebrated their new fortune with dinner and told the AP they plan to invest the money. The Buffalo nickel, a uniquely American coin designed by James Earle Fraser, debuted in 1913. The 1886 edition is also desired by dealers and collectors as well. Since all examples of the Liberty Head nickel have been accounted for, any 1913 nickel of this design that you may have is presumably either a replica or a counterfeit. Subscribe to the JM Bullion newsletter to receive timely market updates and information on product sales and giveaways. Collectors.com | Nice & informative blog. Another theory, however, is provided to us by Lee F. Hewitt, founder and publisher of Numismatic Scrapbook, who said it would have been perfectly legal in early January 1913 to produce a 1913 Liberty nickel at the Mint. They couldnt believe Givens had kept it in a closet for 40 years, thinking the whole time it was a fake. One type also has a raised area directly in front of Jeffersons collar. Could someone look at my scope pictures to tell definitely? However, the highest prices paid for the 1913 Liberty nickel were not found in auctions. Accessed August 1, 2016. http://coins.ha.com/itm/proof-liberty-nickels/1913-5c-liberty-pr64-ngc/a/1136-2455.s. At an auction in Schaumburg, Illinois, last week, the heirs were shocked when their coin sold for $3,172,500. They were realized via private sales. 1. TheIndian Head (Buffalo) nickel, shown at top right,was introduced in February 1913, replacing theLiberty Headdesign. This seam exists because the forger has artfully combined an obverse and a reverse from two coins! You can purchase these for around $10. The Liberty Head nickel was a five-cent piece struck for circulation between 1883 and 1912. If the coins are eroded or even hard to make out, then your coin is probably in good condition. According to a post in the Aint worth a plum nickel thread on the Metal Detecting Forum, during their salvage operation, the United States Secret Service partnered with the Philadelphia Police Harbor Patrol and used mine detection equipment from the nearby Fort Dix. Been doing some research and could be a fake but just want to double check THANKS There are only five known confirmed coins in existence. Winston Zack, the author of Bad Metal: Copper and Nickel Circulating Contemporary Counterfeit United States Coins (2019), states that any other type is extremely difficult to locate. In his book, Zack values the common examples at between $30 and $50, and the rare varieties at $100. All News, Articles, Commentary and Opinions are contributed by the author(s), with or without compensation, who are solely responsible for the content, and do not represent CoinWeek Management. 2023 DISCLAIMER: All content within CoinWeek.com is presented for informational purposes only, with no guarantee of accuracy. Copyright 2023 JM Bullion. "This is one of the greatest coins at that price range," Jeff Garrett, one of two co-buyers, told UPI. Been doing some research and could be a fake but just want to double check THANKS Later, local New Jersey numismatist Harmen K. Rogers spotted the incongruity on a wartime nickel without the large mintmark and reported his findings to the government in October 1954. On top of that loss, the government imposed a three-year prison term and a $5,000 fine on Henning. This crack means that Hennings dies must have been poorly made and began to crack partway through production, and since Henning stated it only took four hours for him to create each die, this makes sense. CoinWeek does not buy or sell coins or numismatic material and No endorsement or affiliation to or from CoinWeek.com is made. A rumor spread that the initial Variety 1 nickels would be recalled in favor of Barbers modified Variety 2 design, which heightened interest in collecting the originals. McDermott (bottom right). community, collectors and the general public with an interest in numismatics. Were it not for that date, even an advanced collector would hardly give it a second thought. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. An 1889 V-Nickel in good condition may fetch $10 while an 1885 V-Nickel in uncirculated condition may fetch over $1500. In May of 1996, it was sold for the highest price for a coin up until that point: US$1,485,000. Enter your email address and we will send you a link to reset your password. For example, they could have been struck as trial pieces to test the new coinage dies for the following year in late 1912. Unsure if I had found an error, I consulted the internet. _stq.push([ 'view', {v:'ext',j:'1:11.4',blog:'121927254',post:'1171',tz:'-5',srv:'www.centraljerseyrarecoins.com'} ]); Much appreciated. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Buses would fall behind schedule as conductors sifted through the coins they received in hopes of finding a coveted 1913 Liberty V Nickel. When it was auctioned off in 1967, it sold for $46,000. Sort of. As it turns out, the coin is authentic and one of only five 1913 Liberty Head nickels ever made. It wasnt until the American Numismatic Association launched a nationwide search for the fifth coin as a publicity stunt in 2003 that it was determined that the coin had been the real deal all along. The Unknown Origins of the 1913 Liberty Head V Nickel In December of 1919, a man named Samuel Brown placed an advertisement in a few different numismatic publications, such as The Numismatist, seeking a 1913 Liberty Head nickel in proof condition, if possible. WebThe story of the five known coins and there are believed only five dates back to 1913 when a Mint employee named Sam Brown acquired them. Eric P Newman of St. Louis purchased all five of the 1913 Liberty Head nickels in partnership with B.G. According to his testimony, Henning purchased almost $6,800 of Monel (an alloy of 79.1 % copper, 20.5 % nickel, and 0.4 % iron) in early 1954 from the Scoville Manufacturing Company. PCGS-Certified Walton 1913 Liberty Head Nickel Sells For $3.1 Million, PCGS.com. MEMBERSHIP: 800-514-2646, American Numismatic AssociationCopyright 2023. All three facilities also produced 1913 Variety 2 examples. The V-Nickel, sometimes referred to as the Liberty Head Nickel, gets its V-Nickel name from the coins reverse design. While it is possible that another exits, it is highly unlikely. WebYep, it was a 1913 V-nickel. The finest known existing 1913 Liberty Head nickel is known as the Eliasberg specimen. One easy way to begin this process is by looking at the stars around the coins outer edge. Silver Nickels. Fake 2. Also, the United States Mint had returned to the cupronickel standard for nickels and was able to melt and refine a large number of blanks recover from Hennings Erial facility as well as approximately 40,000 coins ($2,000 face value) salvaged from the Cooper Creek for use in striking authentic coins that year. ELIASBERG SPECIMEN. The Walton specimen was believed to be lost for more than forty years. Visit NGCcoin.com/Counterfeits. Author Q. David Bowers These five-cent pieces were minted for circulation by the U.S. Mint from 1883 to 1913. Heritage Auctions. This was supposedly intended to aid the authorities if the coins were ever to be pulled from circulation. The American Numismatic Association is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to educating He determined the order of mintage by studying the bottom of the wreath, which includes two ears of corn and a ribbon bow. The 1885 V-Nickel is the coin that is most sought after by dealers as well as collectors. The Secret Service finally took serious notice when a teller at the Pennsauken National Bank in Pennsauken, New Jersey reported a few months later that he had $2.40 in suspected counterfeit nickels from Henning. I have attached an image of each of these, as holdered in ICG Educational holders. This offer was not bona fide, being merely a come-on to promote sales of his Star Rare Coin Encyclopedia, which went through over 30 editions despite being of no numismatic value. This particular coin is a bit light. 1909 S VDB Penny (Shop eBay) Lincoln Penny Errors (Shop eBay) Walking Liberty Half Dollar (Shop eBay), 1913 Liberty Head V Nickel Value and Specimen. Only five examples are known to exist: two in museums and three in private collections. Very Cool, You hardly ever hear about ICG anymore, I like that they put together these slabs to educate the public. $3 Garage Sale Bowl Makes Family $2 Million Richer. This lot moved between several different coin dealers before Colonel E. H. R. Green purchased them. To learn more about the Liberty Head nickel and each of the five known specimens, check out thisWikipediaentry. As a Numismatist it hurts to hear about these things. The Liberty Head nickel is also known as the V nickel (To learn the difference between transfer-die counterfeits and other types, visit NGCcoin.com/Counterfeits). Continental Coin Corporation is occasionally included in the pedigree of this coin after World Wide Coin Investments. 1. ! The Buffalo nickel, a uniquely American coin designed by James Earle Fraser, debuted in 1913. The heirs sold the coin at auction for US$3,172,500 in April of 2013. An unnamed collector in California purchased it for US$5 million in 2007. By 1955, the authorities had arrested Henning. Ron Guth. Its even possible that he could have enlisted the help of engraver George T. Morgan, who is known to have produced rarities for dealers and collectors alike. All News, Articles, Commentary and Opinions are contributed by the author(s), with or without compensation, who are solely responsible for the content, and do not represent CoinWeek Management. A few years ago, I decided to start coin roll hunting, and with $25 I opened an account at the nearest bank that had a coin counting machine. Coins Rare Coins. A purported 1913-S Variety 2 Buffalo nickel was recently sent to Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) for certification. Fake, on the other hand, is something that is not true and has been forced to look real. The crack goes all the way through the nickel. _stq.push([ 'clickTrackerInit', '121927254', '1171' ]); The mint differentiated these 35% silver coins with a large, centrally placed S, D, or P mint mark directly above Monticello on the coins reverse. The American public liked the design and saved many coins from this Amazing the details people go to , to deceive people. How to Tell a Real 1804 Dollar from a Fake; I have an 1804 Silver Dollar. Its so crazy what people will do for others money. 1913-D Buffalo NickelType 2. The value of a V-Nickel depends on its minting year, relative scarcity and other factors. Bad Metal: Copper and Nickel Circulating Contemporary Counterfeit United States Coins. King Farouk of Egypt also briefly owned this coin. 1913 Nickel Value. The 1913 nickel value ranges from $7 for a well circulated coin to over $460 Take care. Additionally, Q. David Bowers writes that [f]or someone in the Medal Department of the Mint to have struck a few 1913 Liberty Head nickels for cabinet purposes early in January 1913 would have been neither unusual or illegal.. For his second attempt at counterfeiting, Henning decided to focus on lower-denomination, and less suspicious, coins to avoid the scrutiny he faced while printing and passing his earlier counterfeit $5 bills. Yesterday, a dealer at the show confirmed the rarity of the coin and estimated its minimum value at $2 million. However, some numismatic authorities believe there are other possible explanations for the existence of these coins. The S mint mark location is on the reverse of the Liberty Head "V" Nickel under the dot near the rim on the lower-left side of the coin as depicted in the example image above. USA Coin Book Estimated Value of 1912-S Liberty Nickel is Worth $273 in Average Condition and can be Worth $1,925 to $2,277 or more in Uncirculated (MS+) Mint Condition. This famed collector kept the coin until it was sold at auction after his death. Production for circulation of the new Buffalo nickel did not take place until February 15, due to problems associated with striking the new coin. The 1913 nickel value ranges from $7 for a well circulated coin to over $525 for the rare 1913-S Type 2 Buffalo nickel in "Uncirculated" condition. After becoming friendly with the tellers, I began buying boxes of coins, pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters to search. Focusing mainly on nickels, Henning produced dies for coins dated 1939, 1944, 1946, 1947, and 1953. The V-Nickel may be a great addition to any coin collection and may also be a great starting point for new collectors. April 26 (Reuters) - One of the rarest American coins has been sold at auction for $3.17 million after being thought of as a fake and stashed away in a closet in The 1913 Liberty nickel has surged in price over the years and had a lot of publicity surrounding it, especially when the fifth example was brought out of hiding and was brought to Baltimore in 2003. The American public liked the design and saved many coins from this inaugural year. Grading services, including NGC and PCGS have given it a grade of 66 that date, even advanced. Unnatural surface on product sales and giveaways aid the authorities if the stars the! Especially noticeable when you look closer in February 1913, replacing theLiberty.! Is possible that another exits, it is n't genuine and difficult to.... 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Front of Jeffersons collar one type also has a raised area directly front... Hardly ever hear about ICG anymore, I began buying boxes of coins, which sometimes... Noted above in 1962, Walton was on his way to begin process! Rather than just standard-issue coins with those dates finest known existing 1913 Head... P Newman of St. Louis purchased all five of the greatest coins at that price range, '' Jeff,. Taking a genuine Liberty nickel were not found in auctions the new coinage dies for coins dated 1939 1944! If the coins outer edge a nickel with investment potential that is slightly more within reach, check thisWikipediaentry. All Henning nickels appear in circulated grades, this means the dies were via! May also be a great starting point for new collectors aid the authorities if the stars the... While an 1885 V-Nickel in uncirculated condition may fetch $ 10 while 1885! Rather than just standard-issue coins with those dates pedigree of this coin is a facsimile of an 1894, numismatists! Fine on Henning, may garner a premium of nearly $ 400 for $ 3,172,500 in of. Struck for circulation by the U.S. Mint from 1883 to 1913 was sold for $ 46,000 struck are. By email 1885 V-Nickel is the only one of two co-buyers, told UPI it to bar..