1913 Nickel: It’s Not Gold. It’s Not Silver. It’s Just a Nickel — But It Could Make You a Multi-Millionaire. In the world of coin collecting, there are rare coins… and then there are mystical legends.
The 1913 Liberty Head Nickel falls into that second category. With only five known to exist, this little five-cent piece has stunned collectors and historians for over a century. And if you’re lucky enough to hold one, you could cash in for over $3 million.
That’s right. A nickel worth more than a mansion.
What Makes It So Rare?
The Liberty Head design was officially retired in 1912 — replaced by the Buffalo Nickel in 1913.
But somehow — and nobody knows exactly how — five Liberty Head nickels were mysteriously struck with the 1913 date. They weren’t officially authorized, they weren’t on the Mint’s schedule, and yet… they exist.
Many believe these coins were created secretly by a Mint employee, possibly to sell or trade with collectors. Whatever the origin story, these five coins became one of the greatest mysteries in U.S. coinage.
The Power of Five
Only five genuine 1913 Liberty Head Nickels are known to exist today:
- The Eliasberg Specimen – once sold for over $5 million.
- The Olsen Specimen – famously featured on TV’s Hawaii Five-O.
- The Walton Specimen – sat in a closet for decades, believed to be fake.
- The McDermott Specimen – the only one with visible wear.
- The Norweb Specimen – tucked away in a private collection.
Each coin has its own backstory — drama, mystery, and high-stakes auctions. Some have changed hands privately for millions, while others are kept under tight security in museums or vaults.
$3 Million for a Nickel?
Yes — and that’s on the conservative side.
The Walton specimen — once thought to be lost — resurfaced in 2003 and sold for $3.1 million. In 2018, another specimen was auctioned for $4.56 million.
Depending on condition, provenance, and collector demand, the value can skyrocket even higher.
Could You Have One?
It might sound crazy, but one of these coins was once mistaken as a fake and kept in a shoebox for 40 years. That same coin ended up selling for millions.
If you ever come across a Liberty Head nickel with the date 1913, don’t brush it off.
Here’s what to look for:
- Liberty Head design (not the Buffalo Nickel)
- Date reads “1913”
- NO mint mark
- Heavy weight and clean strike
But be warned — forgeries exist, and they’re everywhere. If you suspect you have one, get it verified by a top-tier grading service like PCGS or NGC.
The Coin Collecting Holy Grail
The 1913 Liberty Head Nickel is more than a coin. It’s an American legend. It represents mystery, scandal, rarity, and value — all packed into one small disc of nickel and copper.
To this day, collectors are still searching, still hoping, and still dreaming of finding the 6th specimen (if it exists at all).