Rare Nickel Could Fetch $3 Million

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Dec 23rd 2009 at 8:01AM

The rare U.S. nickel above has quite the interesting story. The 1913 Liberty Head nickel is one of only five known of that specific date and design. The coin, which was owned by King Farouk of Egypt was seen by viewers in an episode of 'Hawaii Five-O,' entitled 'The $100,000 Nickel' in 1973. In 1978 Los Angeles Lakers owner, Dr. Jerry Buss, paid $200,000 for the coin and it has changed hands several times since then, jumping in value each time.

The nickel will be auctioned off by Heritage Auctions at a coin collectors event in Orlando, Florida on January 6, 2010. It is expected to sell for $3 million or more. The coin is rare because while the U.S. Mint struck tens of millions of Liberty Head nickels from 1883 through 1912, it switched designs in 1913 to depict a Native American on the "head's" side and a bison on the "tail's" side. But five nickels with the new date, 1913, but the old Liberty design were secretly made at the Philadelphia Mint and eventually sold to collectors. One of the coins is in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC; another belongs to the American Numismatic Association (ANA) Money Museum in Colorado Springs, Colorado; and the three others, including the coin in the January auction, are privately owned by collections.

UPDATE: This coin sold for $3,737,500 at auction. The winning bid is according to Heritage Auctions "a very advanced East Coast coin collector" who had wanted this rare piece to round out his collection.

Tags: coin collecting, CoinCollecting, coins, liberty coin, LibertyCoin, rare coin, RareCoin

Filed under: Auctions

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

John Gracchi Dec 23rd 2009 8:55PM

What Kind of Hype is This ? Could Coin Collectors Do More with This Publicity? Would Ebay Sell More Coins? Does this Story Make Sence? Melt the Nickels that you own and wait for Phantom of the opera to Return*

Mike Dec 25th 2009 10:56PM

This article makes perfect SENSE! As a coin collector since I was a youngster I find it intriguing that there are only 3 people in the world you could put together a COMPLETE set of Liberty Head Nickels. Three million dollars is a ton of money to me but if a person has that kind of money to INVEST in this coin more power to them. The rate that this coin has appreciated over the years makes it a better investment than any domestic corporation's stock. Enjoy the opera and keep buying those lottery tickets.

Artnoon Baloon Dec 23rd 2009 11:17PM

This should be looked at as a part of American history. It is not the value of the nicklel but the rarity of the coin that makes it so fascinating. I collect Civil War relics that are rare, because they are a part of American history. Why souuld you criticize someone who is willing to spend his/her money on something they want.

carmen Dec 23rd 2009 9:17PM

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

robert Dec 23rd 2009 9:25PM

WE ARE SICK OF THIS GREEDY AND POMPAS , ARROGANT AND INSULTING MADNESS........GO FEED THE HUNGRY, BEFORE GOD BURNS YOU FOR THIS

anacorider Feb 12th 2010 12:45PM

You give to the poor. The poor are notrare and apparently, if you believe Luke 19, will always be on the earth. I agree too many people want too much from those who earned their well being. Grow up, go to work and amount to something instead o bemoaning success. Get a life!

jimboe56 Dec 23rd 2009 9:33PM

The rich don't have to give a dime to anyone and before you say I am a rich guy saying this, I'm not, I make a good living, but nowhere near rich. Too many lazy people want to lie around doing nothing and always say the rich should give us more of their money. I say get off your lazy butts and go to work.

Gerald Spencer Dec 23rd 2009 9:38PM

It is like the realestate flipping business in Florida:
Buy for 500K sell for 1M, buy for 1M, fail in selling for 1.5M because the appraiser lied about the value. It isn't that the nickel is worth that much, just that someone is foolish enough to give away such money for 5 cents.

bad41132 Dec 23rd 2009 9:53PM

Please get a life if people have money to spend on a nickel then they have a right to. You have no idea what the rich give to charity or not. Maybe you should worry about your own finances and stop hating people that have more than you. Maybe if you work hard and save money, invest and be smart you could have more. It's call'ed Capitalism. How about stop feeling sorry for yourself and depending on other people and the government to support you.

Cheryl Dec 24th 2009 2:13PM

I collect coins myself and, boy, what I'd do if I had one of those in my collection. Just like many, who collect the states quarters well, I buy them in the boxes, "platinum, gold, P, D and, I have other coins, such as, buffalo head nickle's, dime's, wheat pennie's. But, when one, coin can fetch that kind of money it would be good to ask, grandpa or ma if they've save their old coins from way back. My granny lived to be 100 years old, that's a century

mojo Dec 23rd 2009 10:40PM

3 million dollars for a nickel that is going to be encased than locked away in a safe,you can't carry it around with you lest you use it accidently. why would you want it?

CBC Mar 25th 2010 5:05PM

Two comments on your post:
(1) Why don't YOU give everything you have to the poor? By the standards of 95+% of the world, you are rich.
(2) Currently, Person #1 owns the coin and Person #2 has $3mil. After Jan. 6, Person #2 will own the coin and Person #1 will have the $3mil. The net result is - ZERO. Maybe the current owner will take the proceeds from the sale and help the poor - did you ever stop to consider that possibility?

dustyash08 Dec 23rd 2009 11:40PM

Work harder people, millions on welfare depend on you!

Jacqueline Henry Dec 24th 2009 2:42AM

I do not understand how a coin can have such a higher value than intended over years and humans are starving and homeless in so many places including the United States how can things be more value than little children who are sick an homeless, starving yet no fault of thier own and someone says they deserve it because they were born into such a situation I Pray that God touches the heart of the person or persons who feel that way that nickel will be here when who ever gets it has gone to heaven or hell. Its a nickel its a thing.

Frank Crisci Dec 23rd 2009 11:56PM

I'll pay five cents for this nickel.

Jim Fedullo Jan 2nd 2010 8:41AM

I REMEMBER THIS COIN FROM SEVERAL YRS BACK, ITS AN MS--66 CERTIFIED AND I DO BELIEVE IT WAS 2 OR 3 GRADES ABOVE THE NEXT CLOSEST. IT IS A VERY RARE COIN. I HAVE BEEN COLLECTING OVER 35 YRS AND HAVE A EARLY HALF COLLECTION W/O THE 1794, 1796, 1797, 1815/2 & the 1836 RE. ALL OF THEM ARE IN AU-50 THRU MS-61 CERTIFIED. I ALSO HAVE A EARLY SILVER COMMEM COLLECTION THATS 2/3'S COMPLETE , ALL CERTIFIED MS-64 THRU MS-67. THE MARKET IS NUTS NOW , NOT A GOOD TIME TO BUY. JUST A WORD, NEVER BUY UNCERTIFIED & SHOP AROUND. THERE ARE SOME GOOD DEALERS OUT THERE BUY THERE ARE SOME REAL BAD ONES OUT THERE ALSO, I HAVE RUN INTO A FEW. ITS A WONDERFUL HOBBY. IF YOU DECIDE TO SELL, GO AUCTION, DEALERS TAKE ALL OF YOUR PROFIT, BUY A REALLY GOOD QUALITY COIN INSTEAD OF SEVERAL LESS VALUABLE ONES. IT GOES MINTAGE, QUALITY, AVAILABILITY, CERTIFIED WHEN LOOKING AT COINS. GOOD LUCK--ALSO ITS A LONG TERM TYPE OF HOBBY , SO BE PREPARED TO INVEST LONG TERM.

robertmartin4 Dec 24th 2009 1:00AM

I collect coins and have read the story behind them.
Produced in 1913 on 3rd shift, but were stored away until showing up at a fair in 1920. All the coins were supposedly purchased by a guy named Green
(last name). Then eventually split up and sold.
The story also one of the coins were lost when a collector in the 50's had an automobile accident.( he was known to have carried the coin on his person)
The others, many have owned. I remember one collector Elisburg had COMPLETE! US Coin collection. He had one of these nickels.
Reed Hawn also owned one of these. I do wish to purchase one of these before I pass on......... The key word is WISH!

edg Dec 24th 2009 1:01AM

I have a dime 1804 head of a women facing right is it worth anything?

mintrubble71 Dec 24th 2009 1:02AM

"Back in the day" the mint would produce what were essentially vanity pieces; minted on order of the Treasurer in tiny numbers as gifts for their friends. Thus, you have genuine US currency with these EXTREMELY limited production numbers. These type of coins are not really on the radar of your average numismatist, but very interesting none the less.