So You Think You Have a Million Dollar 1913 Liberty Head Nickel?

1913 Liberty Head Nickel

1913 Buffalo Nickel

The 1913 Liberty Head nickel is considered one of the most famous and valuable rare coins in American history. Stories about these legendary nickels regularly surface online whenever one appears at auction, often leading people to search through old coin collections hoping they may have discovered a multi-million-dollar rarity hidden away in a box or drawer.

Only five genuine 1913 Liberty Head nickels are known to exist. These coins were produced secretly and were never officially authorized by the United States Mint. Today, they are among the most celebrated rarities in American numismatics, with examples selling for millions of dollars at major rare coin auctions. Two specimens are held in museums, while the remaining examples reside in private collections.

Because of the enormous publicity surrounding these coins, many people mistakenly believe any 1913 nickel they find may be worth a fortune. However, there is an important detail many overlook.

In 1913, the United States Mint officially transitioned from the Liberty Head nickel design to the Indian Head nickel, more commonly known today as the Buffalo nickel. This means that the vast majority of genuine 1913 nickels found in collections or circulation should feature the Buffalo nickel design rather than the Liberty Head design.

If you discover a 1913 nickel showing Lady Liberty on the front, it is almost certainly a replica, reproduction, novelty piece, or counterfeit. Since all five authentic 1913 Liberty Head nickels have long been accounted for, newly discovered examples are not considered genuine by experts.

That said, some 1913 Buffalo nickels can still carry collector value depending on condition, mint mark, rarity, and overall eye appeal. High-grade examples, especially coins with strong details and minimal wear, may be worth significantly more than face value. Certain Buffalo nickels from the 1910s and 1920s are heavily sought after by collectors due to low mintages, key dates, and historical significance.

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At Tri-State Rare Coins in Bound Brook, NJ, we regularly help customers evaluate old coin collections, inherited collections, Buffalo nickels, Liberty nickels, silver coins, and other rare U.S. coins. While finding a genuine multi-million-dollar 1913 Liberty Head nickel is extraordinarily unlikely, many collections still contain valuable coins worth far more than expected.

Collectors throughout New Jersey, New York City, Long Island, Pennsylvania, and the Tri-State area often bring in old nickels and coin collections for free written appraisals to better understand rarity, collector demand, and overall market value.

For collectors interested in learning more, the five known 1913 Liberty Head nickels remain some of the most studied and famous coins in the entire hobby, continuing to fascinate collectors more than a century after their mysterious creation.

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