Diagnostic Controls & Presets The Nickel of Mystery
Diagnostic Forensic Readings
Forensic Attribution Diagnostic
Real-time metallurgical and die variety cross-examination verified against certified populations.
Technical Breakdown: Physics, Metallurgy & Die Diagnostics
Buffalo nickels replaced the Liberty head series in February 1913. Mint employee Samuel Brown struck 5 proof specimens before destroying the dies.
Struck on proof planchets on a medal press, giving them squared mirror rims and razor-sharp star relief.
Documented Benchmark Auction Records
Highest graded specimen, possessing pristine deep mirror proof fields and intact satiny frost on Miss Liberty.
The famous lost coin stored in an envelope in a closet from 1962 until dramatically authenticated at the 2003 ANA World's Fair.
Common 1910 coin with the final '0' manually scraped and replaced with an embossed lead '3'.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why were only five 1913 Liberty Head Nickels struck?
In late 1912, the U.S. Mint prepared to replace Charles Barber's Liberty Head nickel with James Earle Fraser's Buffalo nickel design in February 1913. However, before the Liberty dies were defaced, a rogue mint employee named Samuel W. Brown clandestinely struck five proof specimens on a medal press and later acquired them.
How did Samuel Brown reveal the existence of the coins?
Brown hid the coins for seven years. In December 1919, he placed an advertisement in The Numismatist offering to pay $500 for any 1913 Liberty Head nickel. In 1920, he displayed all five coins at the American Numismatic Association convention in Chicago, revealing that he owned the entire world's supply.
Who are the 5 known specimens named after?
The 5 specimens are named after their most famous owners: 1. Eliasberg (PR-66, finest known). 2. Olsen (PR-64, featured on 'Hawaii Five-O'). 3. Norweb (PR-60, now in the Smithsonian). 4. Walton (PR-63, the car crash coin). 5. McDermott (PR-55, now in the ANA Money Museum).
What was the 40-year mystery of the Walton 1913 Nickel?
In 1962, North Carolina collector George Walton died in a car crash en route to a coin show. In the wreckage was his 1913 nickel. When evaluated by an appraiser, it was mistakenly declared an altered fake. Walton's sister kept the coin in a closet in an envelope. In 2003, at the Baltimore ANA convention, a panel of experts compared it against the other four and proved it was the genuine missing fifth specimen, worth millions!
How can you detect an altered date 1913 Liberty nickel?
Scammers take a common 1903, 1910, or 1912 nickel and tool the last digit into a '3'. Under 30x magnification: 1. Genuine 1913s are proof strikes with mirror fields, square rims, and sharp rims. 2. A fake will have uneven tool gouges, solder seams, or mismatched font styles on the 3. 3. On genuine coins, star #6 points precisely at the coronet notch.
Where are the five coins located today?
Two are in permanent public museums (the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. and the ANA Edward C. Rochette Money Museum in Colorado Springs). Three are owned by private collectors and occasionally traded at major auctions.
How much is a genuine 1913 Liberty Head Nickel worth?
When offered at auction, a genuine 1913 Liberty Head Nickel commands between $3,000,000 and $5,500,000 USD, ranking among the world's most valuable and famous coins.