Rare Coins Daily Rare coin guides and inquiries

LIBERTY HEAD V NICKEL

1883–1913
NO CENTS • CENTS • 1885/1886 KEYS • 1912-S • 1913 RARITY NOTE
SORTING LEGEND
P1Pull Immediately / Authenticate
P2Check Carefully / Better Date
P3Common / Condition Pull
NCNo CENTS
CWith CENTS
SSan Francisco
NiCopper-nickel
AUTHAuthenticate
ESSENTIAL TOOLS
Microscope
or 10x loupe
0.01g
Scale
Good
Lighting
Reference
Guide
1P1 MONEY COINS
Date / IssuePri.What To Check
1883 No CENTSP2First type; gold-plated racketeer nickels exist
1885P1Major key date
1886P1Major key date
1912-SP1Only regular S-mint V nickel
1913 Liberty NickelP1Five known; not a normal circulation find
High-grade early datesP2Condition-sensitive

1883 No CENTS

1883 No CENTS placeholder

First type; gold-plated racketeer nickels exist

1885

1885 placeholder

Major key date

1886

1886 placeholder

Major key date

1912-S

1912-S placeholder

Only regular S-mint V nickel

2TYPE GUIDE
Type / EraYearsDiagnostic
No CENTS1883Reverse lacks CENTS; some were gold plated
With CENTS1883–1912CENTS added to reverse
1912-S1912Only regular San Francisco V nickel
LIBERTY HEAD V NICKEL obverse placeholderOBVERSE
LIBERTY HEAD V NICKEL reverse placeholderREVERSE
Image note: Internet-hosted image placeholders are included. Replace with licensed/local images in production.
3KEY DATE CHART
Date / GroupPri.Notes
1885P1Key date
1886P1Key date
1894P2Better date
1912-SP1Key S-mint
1913P1Legendary rarity/five known
Sorting tip: Identify type first, then check date, mintmark/edge, surface quality, and variety diagnostics.
4STRIKE & CONDITION DIAGNOSTICS
FeaturePull If / Check
ReverseNo CENTS vs CENTS
Date1885/1886/1912-S first
MintmarkS on reverse for 1912-S
SurfacesNickel corrosion and cleaning common
StrikeLiberty hair/corn details
Condition rule: Original surfaces and problem-free coins usually beat cleaned or damaged examples, even on better dates.
5VARIETIES & ERROR COINS
Variety / ErrorPri.What To Look For
1883 No CENTSP2Type coin/racketeer history
1912-SP1Mintmark key
1913 rarityP1Museum-level rarity; authenticate any claim
Repunched datesP2Specialist interest
Major errorsP2Off-center/broadstrike
variety placeholderVARIETY CHECK
reverse diagnostic placeholderREVERSE / EDGE
6QUICK SORT CHECKLIST

CHECK FIRST

  1. 1883 No CENTS
  2. 1885
  3. 1886
  4. 1894
  5. 1912-S
  6. 1913 rarity note
  7. High grade examples
  8. Major errors
  9. Authenticate keys
Fast workflow: type → date → mintmark/edge → weight/specs → variety → condition → authenticate P1 finds.
Authenticate: P1 rarities, famous varieties, proofs, and expensive high-grade pieces before sale.
SORT SMART. VERIFY MAJOR FINDS. NEVER CLEAN COLLECTIBLE COINS.
Primary source: https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/category/nickels/liberty-head-nickel-1883-1913/675
Notice Updated