Mention is also made of the 1913 Liberty head nickel, a coin produced under undocumented circumstances, probably by Samuel W. Brown, an employee of the Mint in 1913. In 1920 Samuel Brown displayed five 1913 Liberty head nickels at the annual convention of the American Numismatic Association. Prior to this, collectors did not know of the existence of the issue, although Brown sought to cover his tracks by running advertisements to buy such pieces in 1919. Whether the production was limited to just five coins, or whether more were made, will never be known. It is believed that just five exist. One of these, valued at the best part of a million dollars, was donated to the American Numismatic Association by Aubrey and Adeline Bebee. Another coin was donated to the Smithsonian Institution by the Norweb family, in a transaction in which I had a part in the 1970s. A third coin was sold by Superior Galleries in 1985 for $385,000 and was purchased by Reed Hawn, a Texas financier and numismatist, who later proudly displayed it with another rarity in his collection, an 1804 silver dollar. The fourth coin is in the Eliasberg Collection, while the fifth is believed to be owned by the Reynolds family in North Carolina.

The fame of the 1913 Liberty nickel can be laid at the doorstep of Fort Worth, Texas dealer B. Max Mehl, who for many years offered to pay $500 for a specimen. It is reported that transit companies had a big problem when streetcar and trolley conductors slowed down their operations to examine the date on each Liberty nickel offered as a fare! Not a single 1913 Liberty head nickel ever turned up in pocket change, for no pieces were put into circulation to begin with, but the publicity helped B. Max Mehl sell countless thousands of his Star Rare Coin Encyclopedia premium guide books.

Budget Recommendations: Build a set 1883-1912 in G-4 to VG-8 grade.

Recommendations for the Connoisseur: Form a nicely matched collection 1883-1912 in MS-63 to MS-64 or Proof-63 to Proof-64 grade. Select coins with excellent aesthetic appeal. A little secret (which also applies to Proof nickel three-cent pieces): A set of Proof-63 Liberty nickels purchased today will cost you less than half of what a similar set would have cost 10 years ago!

Elite Recommendations: Pick either MS-65 or Proof-65 and assemble a nicely matched set.