The US Mint produced the V nickel (Liberty head nickel) from 1883 to 1911 in Philadelphia. Plus, San Francisco and Denver mints went into production in 1912, the last year of minting this particular coin.
This piece takes its nickname from a large Roman numeral V on the reverse design that shows its face value. The value of V nickels varies, depending on their condition and year of mintage.
V Nickel History
Designer and the mint chief engraver Charles E. Barber created the coin with Lady Liberty and stars around her head. The US Mint produced the first V nickel in 1883. It got its name from the reverse design where a Laurel Wreath surrounds the Roman numeral V that indicates the denomination.
After frequent attempts to gild the coin to look like a five-dollar gold piece, the US Mint added the word CENTS to the coin reverse. As a result, you can find two varieties produced in the first year:
- Variety 1 without CENT on the reverse produced only in that year
- Variety 2 with CENT on the reverse produced from 1883 to 1912
Variety 1 has the obverse with a Liberty profile surrounded by thirteen stars. That coin side stayed unchanged to the end of mintage. However, you can see differences on its reverse. In this case, the Roman numeral V was placed within a wreath, while the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM was placed along the lower nickel rim.
Variety 2 contains the redesigned reverse with the word CENTS added below the wreath. The motto E PLURIBUS UNUM was placed above the wreath.
V Nickels value* |
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| Year | Condition | |||
| Good | Fine | Extra fine | Uncirculated | |
| 1883 with CENTS | $20 | $35 | $85 | $120 |
| 1883 without CENTS | $7 | $10 | $15 | $19 |
| 1884 | $20 | $35 | $85 | $130 |
| 1885 | $550 | $850 | $1,350 | $1,700 |
| 1886 | $275 | $425 | $700 | $825 |
| 1887 | $15 | $35 | $75 | $110 |
| 1888 | $30 | $35 | $75 | $110 |
| 1889 | $15 | $60 | $175 | $220 |
| 1890 | $10 | $25 | $65 | $110 |
| 1891 | $7 | $25 | $70 | $125 |
| 1892 | $6 | $20 | $65 | $110 |
| 1893 | $6 | $20 | $65 | $110 |
| 1894 | $20 | $100 | $240 | $300 |
| 1895 | $6 | $21 | $70 | $115 |
| 1896 | $10 | $35 | $90 | $150 |
| 1897 | $5 | $12 | $45 | $70 |
| 1898 | $5 | $12 | $45 | $75 |
| 1899 | $2 | $8 | $30 | $60 |
| 1900 | $2 | $8 | $30 | $65 |
| 1901 | $2 | $5 | $30 | $60 |
| 1902 | $2 | $5 | $30 | $60 |
| 1903 | $2 | $5 | $30 | $60 |
| 1904 | $2 | $5 | $30 | $60 |
| 1905 | $2 | $4 | $30 | $60 |
| 1906 | $2 | $4 | $30 | $60 |
| 1907 | $2 | $4 | $30 | $60 |
| 1908 | $2 | $4 | $30 | $60 |
| 1909 | $3 | $5 | $33 | $70 |
| 1910 | $2 | $4 | $30 | $60 |
| 1911 | $2 | $4 | $30 | $60 |
| 1912 | $2 | $4 | $30 | $60 |
| 1912 S | $175 | $285 | $850 | $1,400 |
| 1912 D | $3 | $10 | $85 | $175 |
*by JM Bullion
Only the Philadelphia mint produced V nickels from 1883 to 1911, and the series ended with coins minted in 1912. Besides the main mint, two other mints from Denver and San Francisco struck them only that last year of production:
- 8,747,000 V nickels were produced in the Denver mint
- 238,000 V nickels were produced in the San Francisco mint
The low number and ‘last of issue’ status make these pieces highly collectible nowadays.
V Nickels value* |
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| Year | Condition | |||
| Good | Fine | Extra fine | Uncirculated | |
| 1883 with CENTS | $15 | $30 | $60 | $113 |
| 1883 | $4 | $6.5 | $8 | $20 |
| 1884 | $15 | $31 | $58 | $112 |
| 1885 | $182 | $415 | $755 | $1,550 |
| 1886 | $153 | $250 | $388 | $698 |
| 1887 | $10 | $24 | $55 | $95 |
| 1888 | $20 | $47 | $125 | $165 |
| 1889 | $10 | $25 | $70 | $100 |
| 1890 | $6.3 | $20 | $48 | $109 |
| 1891 | $4 | $15 | $45 | $104 |
| 1892 | $3.6 | $15 | $43 | $115 |
| 1893 | $4 | $15 | $40 | $82 |
| 1894 | $10 | $75 | $165 | $225 |
| 1895 | $3.4 | $15 | $48 | $95 |
| 1896 | $6 | $30 | $90 | $135 |
| 1897 | $2.5 | $7 | $30 | $70 |
| 1898 | $1.8 | $7 | $40 | $100 |
| 1899 | $1.4 | $4 | $25 | $60 |
| 1900 | $1.4 | $3 | $25 | $54 |
| 1901 | $1 | $3 | $23 | $60 |
| 1902 | $1 | $3 | $24 | $50 |
| 1903 | $1 | $3.3 | $23 | $50 |
| 1904 | $1 | $3.3 | $23 | $58 |
| 1905 | $1 | $3 | $23 | $58 |
| 1906 | $1 | $3 | $23 | $67 |
| 1907 | $1 | $3 | $23 | $60 |
| 1908 | $1 | $3 | $23 | $58 |
| 1909 | $1.25 | $3.2 | $23 | $78 |
| 1910 | $1 | $3 | $23 | $50 |
| 1911 | $1 | $3 | $92 | $53 |
| 1912 | $1 | $3 | $23 | $52 |
| 1912 S | $88 | $123 | rare | rare |
| 1912 D | $2 | $7.6 | $70 | $180 |
*by CoinStudy
The V nickel is an excellent option for any coin collector, including novice and those with a limited budget. Since it contains 75% copper and 25% nickel, its price won’t depend on the precious metal market. Therefore, you can expect this century-old coin value to rise over time, making it a risk-free investment.
V Nickel Grading
As always, the V nickel value depends on its condition, scarcity, and the minting year. Remember that the professionally graded coin is worth more.
Uncirculated V nickel
The coin in a mint state is without any trace of wear over the surface. You can recognize fine hairlines above Liberty’s forehead without any visible smoothing. Her cheek, all wheat grains above her coronet, and cotton leaves are perfectly rounded.
Extra fine V nickel
You can spot only light wear across the coin surface reflected in the localized flattening.
However, letters in the well-defined coronet are untouched and bold, and you can find significant changes neither in wheat grains nor in cotton bolls and leaves. They are entirely distinct without any blending of details.
Fine ​V nickel
Unfortunately, you can see wide flat areas over the coin surface as a result of wear. Most smaller details are reduced, but all letters in the word Liberty on the coronet are visible. A headband is also faded in the end and slightly blended with hair.
However, hairlines are still pretty separated. Details of the wreath placed on the reverse started to fade, while cotton leaves were smooth and merged with the stems.
V Nickels value* |
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| Year | Condition | |||||
| Good | Fine | Very fine | Extra fine | About uncirculated | MS 63 | |
| 1883 with CENTS | $15 | $40 | $60 | $70 | $115 | $180 |
| 1883 | $7 | $10 | $15 | $20 | $25 | $55 |
| 1884 | $18 | $40 | $60 | $70 | $135 | $300 |
| 1885 | $420 | $630 | $940 | $1,390 | $1,610 | $3,690 |
| 1886 | $200 | $280 | $510 | $650 | $950 | $1,100 |
| 1887 | $10 | $35 | $55 | $80 | $100 | $180 |
| 1888 | $25 | $70 | $130 | $140 | $200 | $300 |
| 1889 | $10 | $35 | $55 | $80 | $100 | $180 |
| 1890 | $10 | $30 | $50 | $75 | $100 | $220 |
| 1891 | $5 | $30 | $45 | $70 | $130 | $180 |
| 1892 | $5 | $25 | $45 | $70 | $100 | $190 |
| 1893 | $5 | $25 | $40 | $70 | $100 | $150 |
| 1894 | $15 | $90 | $130 | $155 | $270 | $400 |
| 1895 | $5 | $20 | $40 | $75 | $130 | $255 |
| 1896 | $7 | $40 | $70 | $115 | $145 | $250 |
| 1897 | $3 | $10 | $30 | $50 | $80 | $150 |
| 1898 | $3 | $10 | $30 | $50 | $100 | $135 |
| 1899 | $2 | $10 | $20 | $35 | $75 | $100 |
| 1900 | $0.5 | $5 | $14 | $35 | $60 | $130 |
| 1901 | $0.5 | $5 | $14 | $30 | $50 | $130 |
| 1902 | $0.5 | $5 | $14 | $30 | $60 | $120 |
| 1903 | $0.5 | $5 | $14 | $30 | $60 | $120 |
| 1904 | $0.5 | $5 | $13 | $30 | $70 | $100 |
| 1905 | $0.5 | $5 | $12 | $30 | $60 | $120 |
| 1906 | $0.5 | $5 | $12 | $30 | $60 | $130 |
| 1907 | $0.5 | $5 | $12 | $30 | $60 | $120 |
| 1908 | $0.5 | $5 | $12 | $30 | $60 | $120 |
| 1909 | $1 | $4 | $14 | $35 | $110 | $150 |
| 1910 | $0.5 | $5 | $12 | $30 | $55 | $100 |
| 1911 | $0.5 | $5 | $12 | $30 | $60 | $110 |
| 1912 | $0.5 | $5 | $12 | $30 | $50 | $120 |
| 1912 S | $130 | $200 | $425 | $940 | $1,150 | $2,040 |
| 1912 D | $3 | $12 | $40 | $90 | $210 | $310 |
*by COIN HelpU
Good ​V nickel
You can see well outlined but worn flat Liberty on the obverse without visible details in her head. Many parts of the reverse design are faded with a few smooth areas.
Key Dates and Rarities
There are several rare, highly appreciated, and expensive V nickels you can rarely find on the market. They are always considerably costly in any condition and more desired than common dates. The list is short and includes:
- 1885 V nickel
- 1886 V nickel
- 1912 S V nickel
- 1913 V nickel
1913 V nickel
Even though many believe that the US Mint produced V nickel only from 1883 to 1912, you can also find those minted in 1913. It seems that a mint employee used coin dies to make five V nickels that year.
As you can guess, the US Mint didn’t authorize these famous coins. Minimal minted quantities made this piece the most coveted rarity among American numismatists.
One of those five cents was sold in 1972, becoming the first coin to sell for over $100,000 in history. Only two decades later, one admirer paid more than $1 million for another specimen in 1996. The most expensive V nickels are worth:
$3 million – the coin sold in 2003
- million – the Olsen nickel sold at a public auction in 2010
These five 1913 V nickels still exist. Three of them are in private collections, while museums have two. Be careful since there are a few counterfeited pieces that occasionally occur on the market.
Summary
The situation with V nickels value is the same as in other coins. Their value will vary, depending on their condition and the mintage year. While some of them are worth only a few dollars, you can get decent money for the coin minted in 1885, for instance. On the other hand, you can dream of a rarity minted in 1913 that costs millions.
