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5 Cents, United States, 1913

National Museum of American History

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Object Details

mint
U.S. Mint. Philadelphia
designer
Barber, Charles
Description (Brief)
One (1) 5 cent coin
United States, 1913
Obverse Image: Left-facing Liberty wearing a coronet. 13 stars along edge.
Obverse Text: LIBERTY / 1913
Reverse Image: Wreath of wheat, cotton, and corn.
Reverse Text: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / E PLURIBUS UNUM / V / CENTS
General Information: This coin is from the King Farouk Collection, and is also known as the King Farouk V Nickel.
Description
Some rarities are accidental, like the 1927 Denver double eagle. Others are contrived, beginning their lives as scams. The 1913 Liberty head five-cent piece, or nickel, falls into this category. Were it not for that date, even an advanced collector would hardly give it a second thought. But the date is different, and a very clever set of circumstances ensured that the coins bearing it became memorable, twentieth-century legends.
The first Liberty head nickels were struck in 1883, their designer the prolific if uninspired Charles E. Barber. Millions were made over the next three decades. The design was to be retired at the end of 1912, and that is when things began to become interesting. Despite orders to the contrary, five new Liberty head nickels were struck clandestinely, presumably at the beginning of 1913.
Spirited out of the Mint, they came into the possession of one Samuel W. Brown, of North Tonawanda, New York. He eventually became the town's mayor, but earlier had served as Storekeeper of the Mint. At the end of 1919, he placed an advertisement in the Numismatist, offering to pay $500 each for 1913 Liberty head nickels. Later he raised the offer to $600.
He already had all the coins, so what was he up to? He was making a legend, preparatory to making a profit! He displayed the coins at the following ANA convention (August 1920), finally selling the pieces to a Philadelphia dealer a few years later.
At this point, San Antonio coin dealer B. Max Mehl entered the picture, also making offers to buy any 1913 Liberty nickels. That did it: everyone from ten-year-old boys to sophisticated collectors began checking their change, hoping to come across another 1913. No one ever did, but the coin's legendary status was assured.
Credit Line
Mr. and Mrs. R. Henry Norweb
1913
ID Number
1977.1199.0001
accession number
1977.1199
catalog number
77.49.01
Object Name
coin
Physical Description
copper - nickel (overall material)
Measurements
overall: .2 cm x 2.2 cm; 3/32 in x 7/8 in
place made
United States: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
city
United States: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
province
United States: Pennsylvania
country
United States
political area
United States
Related Publication
Zoomable Image and Details
Feingold, Ellen R.. Value of Money, The
See more items in
Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection
Coins
Numismatics
Coins, Currency and Medals
Legendary Coins
Exhibition
The Value of Money
Exhibition Location
National Museum of American History
National Museum of American History
Record ID
nmah_835247
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a6-8319-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

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  • National Numismatic Collection:Untitled

    American History Museum
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