Values
A Liberty Head nickel’s market depends on the date, the mint mark, whether 1883 has CENTS, and the grade. This page is a series reference, not a price list.
The G, VF, and MS-63 columns sit in the mintage chart below. Those figures are from the NGC US Coin Price Guide, retrieved 2026-08-21. They are a published guide, not an offer and not melt. A blank cell means that grade was not printed in this pass. 1883 stays mintage-only on the parent line because the pamphlet does not split Shield from Liberty Head. Values sit on the NGC no CENTS and CENTS splits.
A dealer looking at the coin in hand will beat a guide number. If you are trying to sell a pile of them, start with how to sell a coin collection and the Ohio coin dealer directory.
Key Dates
These are the dates collectors ask about first. This is a name list, not a price list and not a mintage table. PCGS CoinFacts names them.
- 1885
- 1886
- 1912-S
Key date names: PCGS CoinFacts. This is a name list, not a price list.
Key dates are bolded on the mintage chart.
1885, 1886, and 1912-S are the keys. 1913 Liberty Head is a famous five-piece rarity. It is not a mintage row here.
Errors
These are named varieties. They are not extra pamphlet rows. The 1974 Mint table does not split them out, and this page will not invent a count.
1883 no CENTS versus CENTS. This is a legend change, not an error. The first reverse had a Roman V and no CENTS. The Mint added CENTS later in 1883. PCGS CoinFacts and NGC both name the split. The G / VF / MS-63 cells sit on those variety rows under 1883-P. The pamphlet 1883 5-cent count is Shield plus both Liberty types, so the parent mintage stays on its own line and the variety mintages stay an em dash.
Gold-plated 1883 no CENTS pieces — the old “racketeer” story — are alterations. They are not mint errors and they are not on this chart.
1913 Liberty Head is not an error and not a mintage row. PCGS CoinFacts names 1913 5C Liberty as a clandestine five-piece Proof rarity. NGC printed a Proof-only listing. This page will not put that number on a business-strike MS-63 column.
Compare the coin in hand to PCGS Photograde and the PCGS CoinFacts Liberty Nickel page. We do not host their plates.
Varieties
The variety collectors sort on the circulation series is the 1883 reverse. The 1913 Liberty Head is the clandestine piece this page already keeps off the mintage chart. It is not a circulation variety of 1883–1912.
- 1883 Without CENTSThe first reverse has a Roman V and no word CENTS. PCGS and NGC both list it as its own type.
- 1883 With CENTSThe Mint added CENTS under the wreath the same year. Later dates use that reverse.
Names follow PCGS CoinFacts and NGC, the same publishers this site already cites. This is a name list, not a price list and not a count.
Mintage
Liberty Head nickels were struck at Philadelphia from 1883 through 1912. Denver and San Francisco appear only in 1912. Philadelphia coins have no mint mark. The counts below are the pamphlet 5-cent cells in this repository.
| Year | Mint | Mintage | NGC ID | G | VF | MS-63 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1883 | P | 22,969,421 1883 5 cents include Shield + Liberty Head no CENTS + CENTS (not split). | — | — | — | — |
| 1883 | P no CENTS | — Pamphlet does not split this variety from the mintage above. | 13841 | $10 | $20 | $115 |
| 1883 | P CENTS | — Pamphlet does not split this variety from the mintage above. | 13844 | $25 | $75 | $290 |
| 1884 | P | 11,273,942 | 13845 | $25 | $75 | $325 |
| 1885 | P | 1,476,490 | 13846 | $415 | $1,200 | $4,500 |
| 1886 | P | 3,330,290 | 13847 | $215 | $575 | $2,200 |
| 1887 | P | 15,263,652 | 13848 | $20 | $70 | $300 |
| 1888 | P | 10,720,483 | 13849 | $40 | $150 | $450 |
| 1889 | P | 15,881,361 | 13850 | $20 | $75 | $325 |
| 1890 | P | 16,259,272 | 13851 | $20 | $70 | $300 |
| 1891 | P | 16,834,350 | 13852 | $12.50 | $65 | $300 |
| 1892 | P | 11,699,642 | 13853 | $14 | $65 | $275 |
| 1893 | P | 13,370,195 | 13854 | $10 | $60 | $250 |
| 1894 | P | 5,413,132 | 13855 | $30 | $200 | $600 |
| 1895 | P | 9,979,884 | 13856 | $10 | $60 | $325 |
| 1896 | P | 8,842,920 | 13857 | $15 | $95 | $400 |
| 1897 | P | 20,428,735 | 13858 | $3.50 | $30 | $200 |
| 1898 | P | 12,532,087 | 13859 | $5 | $40 | $250 |
| 1899 | P | 26,029,031 | 13860 | $3.50 | $30 | $175 |
| 1900 | P | 27,255,995 | 13861 | $3.50 | $30 | $185 |
| 1901 | P | 26,480,213 | 13862 | $3.50 | $30 | $200 |
| 1902 | P | 31,480,579 | 13863 | $3.50 | $30 | $175 |
| 1903 | P | 28,006,725 | 13864 | $3.50 | $30 | $180 |
| 1904 | P | 21,404,984 | 13865 | $3.50 | $30 | $185 |
| 1905 | P | 29,827,276 | 13866 | $3.50 | $30 | $170 |
| 1906 | P | 38,613,725 | 13867 | $3.50 | $30 | $180 |
| 1907 | P | 39,214,800 | 13868 | $3.50 | $30 | $180 |
| 1908 | P | 22,686,177 | 13869 | $3.50 | $30 | $180 |
| 1909 | P | 11,590,526 | 13870 | $3.50 | $30 | $185 |
| 1910 | P | 30,169,353 | 13871 | $3.50 | $30 | $175 |
| 1911 | P | 39,559,372 | 13872 | $3.50 | $30 | $160 |
| 1912 | P | 26,236,714 | 13873 | $3.50 | $30 | $160 |
| 1912 | D | 8,474,000 | 13874 | $15 | $90 | $500 |
| 1912 | S | 238,000 | 13875 | $150 | $750 | $2,000 |
Mintage: United States, Bureau of the Mint, Domestic and Foreign Coins Manufactured by Mints of the United States, 1792-1965 (Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1974). Publisher: FRASER / GPO pamphlet.
Collector-standard year/mint presentation follows A Guide Book of United States Coins (the Red Book). These cells are Mint manufacture figures, not a Red Book net or melt.
Values: NGC US Coin Price Guide, retrieved 2026-08-21. Guide values, not offers. Not melt. NGC IDs link to the same publisher’s price-guide listing.
Key date names: PCGS CoinFacts (2026-08-21). Bold rows are only dates that publisher named.
NGC ID: NGC Coin Explorer listing number, retrieved 2026-08-21. A dash means this pass did not record an ID. 1883 parent row stays a dash. Values sit on the NGC no CENTS and CENTS splits.
These pamphlet cells are 5-cent manufacture, not Liberty Head only. 1883 includes Shield + both Liberty types.
No Denver or San Francisco rows before 1912. 1913 Liberty Head is not a mintage row.
These are Bureau of the Mint manufacture figures from the 1974 GPO pamphlet in this repository, not a Red Book net or melt. The grade columns in the same box are NGC guide values from 2026-08-21, not an offer. The pamphlet 5-cent cells are manufacture, not Liberty Head only. 1883 is Shield plus both Liberty types, not split.
Read the date. Read the mint mark. On 1883, look for CENTS before you argue type.
Specifications
These are mint specs, not what a dealer pays. Wear can take a little weight off. We will not invent a tolerance.
A Liberty Head nickel is the same cupronickel 5-cent standard as later nickels. 1883 no CENTS versus CENTS is a legend change. That is not a spec change. Wartime silver nickels are Jefferson, 1942–1945, not this series.
| Specification | Figure |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 21.21 mm (0.835 in) |
| Thickness | 1.95 mm |
| Weight | 5.000 g (77.16 grains) |
| Composition | 75% copper, 25% nickel |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | Charles E. Barber |
Diameter, thickness, and weight are the U.S. Mint circulating five-cent figures (21.21 mm / 1.95 mm / 5.000 g / 77.16 grains). 31 U.S.C. § 5112 names the 5-cent coin as 75 percent copper and 25 percent nickel. Liberty Head nickels used that cupronickel standard. 1883 no CENTS versus CENTS is a legend change, not a spec change. Wartime silver nickels are Jefferson, 1942–1945, not this series.
Grading
A Liberty Head nickel wears first in Liberty’s hair and the wreath, on the V, and on the rim. On 1883, look for the word CENTS — or its absence — before you argue type.
The V is the denomination. Hair in the coronet and leaves in the wreath go flat first. 1883 no CENTS versus CENTS is a legend change, not a grade and not an error.
Key Diagnostic Areas
| Area | What to examine | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Liberty’s hair and wreath | The hair under the coronet and the leaves in the reverse wreath. | Those high points flatten while the rest of the portrait can still look busy. |
| The V | The Roman numeral on the reverse, and whether it is still sharp. | The V is the value. If it is a smear, the reverse has been in a pocket. |
| CENTS | Whether the word CENTS is on the reverse, and how much of it remains. | 1883 no CENTS versus CENTS is a legend change. A missing CENTS on a later date is wear or damage, not 1883. |
| Rim | Whether the rim is full enough to hold the legend. | A worn rim takes LIBERTY and the date with it. Do not scrape the edge to force a date. |
Circulated & Mint State
These cards describe this coin, not a second copy of the P-1 through MS-70 chart. The shared numbers live on the glossary.
See graded photos. The photos that show what VF looks like live at PCGS. We do not host their plates. Compare the coin in hand to PCGS Photograde. PCGS CoinFacts is the catalog page for this series. NGC Coin Explorer is another look if you want a second set.
What each named grade looks like on this design.
Poor
Poor
A nickel disk you can still call a Liberty Head if you already know the type.
- Hair and wreath are gone. The V is a shadow.
- The date may be hard. Do not scrape the rim.
- CENTS is not a conversation if you cannot read the date.
AG
About Good
You might read a digit. The high points are already slick.
- Hair under the coronet is gone. The wreath is an outline.
- The V is tired. If you cannot read the date without hoping, stay here.
- A 1912-S is still this grade if it is this worn.
Good
Good
The date is readable. The design is still mostly an outline.
- Liberty is a head, not a portrait. Hair is a mass.
- The V is outlined. The wreath has no real leaves.
- On 1883, look for CENTS before you name the type.
VG
Very Good
The date is clear. A little life returns in the hair and the wreath.
- Some hair comes back under the coronet. The cheek is still tired.
- The wreath starts to show leftover leaves. The V is easier to read.
- The rim should hold the legend. Do not clean it to “see it better.”
Fine
Fine
You can follow the portrait and the wreath. The high points are outlined, not sharp.
- Hair is outlined. The coronet is not crisp.
- The wreath shows leftover leaves. The V is clear.
- 1883 no CENTS versus CENTS is already worth a look.
VF
Very Fine
The wreath is doing real work. Hair and the V still decide.
- Leftover strands in the hair. The coronet is not slick.
- More of the wreath is there. The V is sharp enough to argue about.
- An 1885 or 1886 is still this grade if it is this worn.
EF
Extremely Fine
Most of the nickel looks sharp. The hair, the wreath, and the V tell on it.
- Light wear on the hair under the coronet and on the high leaves.
- The date is sharp. CENTS, when it is there, should be too.
- The rest of the coin can look better than the grade. Trust the high points.
AU
About Uncirculated
Almost no wear — and “almost” lives on the hair, the wreath, and the V.
- A trace of rub on the hair under the coronet and on the high leaves.
- The date should be full. Luster may still sit in the protected spots.
- A bright nickel with a slick coronet is still a slick coronet.
Basal MS
Mint State
No wear. The fight is marks and luster, not how white the nickel looks.
- No rub on the hair, the wreath, the V, or the date.
- Marks and luster decide how this mint-state coin lives.
- Cameo is not a business-strike conversation on this series.
Choice
Choice Mint State
Still no wear. Cleaner fields than basal mint state.
- Same no-wear rule on the hair, the wreath, and the date.
- Fewer marks in the fields. Luster is more intact.
- 1883 no CENTS versus CENTS is still a legend change, not a grade.
Gem
Gem Mint State
A clean hairline, wreath, and fields for a Liberty Head. Still mint state, still not a story.
- No wear on the hair or the V.
- Marks and luster, not a romance about a 1913 you do not have.
- A slab is an opinion in plastic. The glossary has the numbers.
Proof Liberty Head nickels exist for the run. They were made as proofs. This page does not invent a PR price grid for business-strike rows — NGC did not print one in the 2026-08-21 sheet used here. The 1913 listing NGC printed is Proof only and is not on this chart. The proof numbers live on the glossary.
Copper color designations (BN, RB, RD) do not apply here. Those belong on copper coins such as the Lincoln Wheat cent. See the Lincoln Wheat cent and the glossary.
Overview
A Liberty Head nickel is a United States 5-cent coin with Liberty on the front and a Roman V on the back. Collectors mean the coins struck from 1883 through 1912. People also call it the V nickel. Both names point at the same Barber design.
People like them because the type still reads across a table, 1883 has two reverses, and the worn ones show up in jars. They are also easy to ruin. A wiped coin looks “better” to a seller and worse to everyone else.
This page is a series article, not a shop listing.
History
The series starts in 1883 with Charles E. Barber’s design. It replaces the Shield nickel. The first reverse had a V and no CENTS. Later in 1883 the Mint added CENTS. That split is a legend change in one year, not a later restrike. The pamphlet 1883 5-cent count still mixes Shield with both Liberty types. This page will not pretend to split that total.
From there the run is Philadelphia pocket change until 1912, when Denver and San Francisco strike the type. In 1913 the Mint introduces the Buffalo nickel. Five 1913 Liberty Head pieces are known. PCGS CoinFacts treats them as a clandestine Proof rarity. They are not a mintage row on this page.
This page will not invent a shop list or a melt story to fill the years between.
Design
Obverse: Liberty facing left with a coronet, “LIBERTY,” thirteen stars, and the date. Reverse: a Roman V in a wreath, “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” and “E PLURIBUS UNUM.” On the CENTS type the word CENTS sits under the wreath. The mint mark sits under the wreath, left of CENTS, when the coin is not from Philadelphia — and only in 1912.
Look at the hair under the coronet, the leaves in the wreath, the V, and the rim. Those spots go flat first. On 1883, look for CENTS before you name the type.
Proof Liberty Head nickels exist for the run. They were made as proofs, not as circulation strikes that someone shined later.
People Also Ask
What years are V nickels?
Circulation Liberty Head nickels were struck from 1883 through 1912. Denver and San Francisco appear only in 1912. 1913 Liberty Head is a clandestine five-piece rarity, not a mintage row on this page.
How much is a V nickel worth?
It depends on the date, the mint mark, whether 1883 has CENTS, and the grade. The G, VF, and MS-63 columns in the mintage chart are NGC guide values from 2026-08-21, not an offer. A dealer looking at the actual coin will beat a guide number.
What is 1883 no CENTS versus CENTS?
A legend change. The first 1883 reverse had a V and no CENTS. The Mint added CENTS later that year. It is not an error. The pamphlet 1883 5-cent count does not split Shield from either Liberty type.
Is the 1913 Liberty Head nickel on this chart?
No. PCGS CoinFacts names five clandestine pieces. NGC lists a Proof-only price-guide entry. This page will not invent a mintage and will not put that Proof listing on a business-strike MS-63 column.
Are wartime silver nickels this series?
No. Wartime silver-manganese nickels are Jefferson, 1942–1945, not Liberty Head.
Collector Considerations
Buy the coin, not the story. A common late date in a high grade can cost more than a better date that has already lost its wreath. That is normal.
If you inherited a jar, do not scrub the rim to “see the date better.” Keep them in the holders they arrived in, or in cheap cardboard flips, and take the box to a person who sees V nickels every week. The coin dealer directory starts in Ohio. This site does not invent shop names to fill a paragraph.
Raw coins are fine. So are slabs. What is not fine is a coin that has been cleaned until the fields look like glass, then offered as “original.” Say what happened if you know. A dealer will see it anyway.
If you collect by type, one honest no CENTS and one CENTS will teach you more than a spreadsheet. If you collect by mint mark, 1912-D and 1912-S are the only branch-mint years. 1885, 1886, and 1912-S are the names on the key list. The rest is homework.
For the nickel that replaced this one, read the Buffalo nickel page. For a silver dime from the next decade, read the Mercury dime. For the wartime silver Jefferson alloy, read the War nickel.
A Final Word
Liberty Head nickels reward people who slow down. Read the date. Read the mint mark. Look for CENTS on 1883. Leave the polish under the sink.
When you want another series on this site, the Buffalo nickel, the Mercury dime, and the War nickel are already here.