Liberty Head Nickels (or V Nickels)
The Liberty Head Nickel (or V nickel) was certainly not the most exciting coin in US history. Josh Tatum
added some excitement to the first year of issue, 1883, while Hawaii Five-O
Charles Barber
Charles Barber designed the liberty head nickel. His father, William was chief engraver of the mint, and hired his son as an assistant, despite what many saw as a lack of talent. When William Barber died, Charles took over as the chief engraver. Charles Barber was best known for his liberty head dimes, quarters, and half dollars, which are now called the Barber coins and were minted starting in 1892. In 1883, his version of the Liberty Head nickel was coined.
Josh Tatum and the Liberty Head Nickel
The nickels were virtually the same as a five dollar gold coin. On the back of the nickel, was merely the Roman numeral “V” without any reference to whether it stood for cents or dollars. Josh Tatum enlisted a jeweler friend to gold plate the nickels and try to pass them off as five dollar gold coins. Tatum, who was deaf and mute, would purchase an item costing five cents or less and then hand the plated nickel to the cashier, who would give him change from five dollars. At his trial, Tatum was found not guilty of fraud because he never asked for change. The change given him was considered a gift.
Meanwhile, the mint quickly altered the design and added the word “Cents” to the back to discourage the practice of plating the coins.
Around numismatic circles, this incident is thought to be the origin of the phrase “just joshing.” However, further research suggests that the term “joshing” (meaning kidding) originated sometime before Josh Tatum. The phrase “to josh” may have been used as early as the 1840’s and probably originated as a combination of the words “joke” and “bosh.” The word may have been popularized by the writings of Josh Billings (whose real name was Henry Wheeler Shaw). Billings died three years before the introduction of the liberty head nickel. Josh Tatum was not well known in the 1880’s and probably had little to do with the phrase “joshing.”
Collecting Liberty Head Nickels
A complete collection of regular-issue liberty head nickels consists of 33 coins. All coins were minted in Philadelphia until the final year of issue, 1912, in which Denver and San Francisco joined in. Most liberty head nickels are common with million produced each year. The scarce dates are 1885, 1886, and 1912S. Even during the great financial crisis of 1893,which caused a scarcity of silver dollars, nickels were still minted in large numbers.
The End of the Liberty Head Nickel
The liberty head nickels and the other barber coins were never popular with the masses. Among their critics was Teddy Roosevelt, who called the US coin designs “insipid.” He hired new artists like Augustus St. Gaudens, Adolph Weinman, and Hermon MacNeil. The liberty head nickel was replaced by James Fraser’s Buffalo Nickel in 1913.
(1925).
The 1913 Liberty Head Nickel
1912 was the final year for liberty head nickel production. However, in 1920, Samuel Brown offered five 1913 nickels for sale. Brown was a mint employee, and it is likely that he produced the coins himself. To cover his rear end, he had placed an ad in 1919 offering to buy such nickels.
Hawaii Five-O and the 1913 Nickel
In 1973, the 1913 Liberty Head Nickel made a guest appearance on Hawaii Five-O. In an episode entitled “The $100,000 nickel,” (episode 136, season 6), a slight of hand artist manages to exchange the authentic 1913 liberty head nickel for a forgery. To avoid being caught, he puts the nickel in a vending machine, triggering a mad search for the coin.
The Missing 1913 Liberty Head
The value of the 1913 liberty head nickel has increased dramatically. In 2004, a 1913 liberty head nickel sold for three million dollars. Of the five 1913 Liberty Head Nickels, two are now in museums, and two are in private collections. The fifth has not been seen for decades. It may have been owned by George Walton, who was killed in a car accident in 1962. The coin is currently unaccounted for. Dr. Planchet wishes you luck in finding this three million dollar coin. For more information about the 1913 LibertyHead Nickel,please see the book: Million Dollar Nickels: Mysteries of the 1913 Liberty Head Nickels Revealed
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