PCGS PR63
- PCGS #:
- 3912
- Designer:
- Charles E. Barber
- Edge:
- Plain
- Diameter:
- 21.20 millimeters
- Weight:
- 5.00 grams
- Mintage:
- 5
- Mint:
- Philadelphia
- Metal:
- 75% Copper, 25% Nickel
- Auction Record:
- $4,560,000 • PR66 • 08-22-2018 • Stack's Bowers
Major Varieties
- 1913 5C Liberty
Rarity and Survival Estimates Learn More
| Survival Estimate | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 5 |
| 60 or Better | 4 |
| 65 or Better | 1 |
| Numismatic Rarity | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | R-9.7 |
| 60 or Better | R-9.8 |
| 65 or Better | R-10.0 |
| Relative Rarity By Type All Specs in this Type | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 1 / 31 |
| 60 or Better | 1 / 31 |
| 65 or Better | 1 / 31 |
| Relative Rarity By Series All Specs in this Series | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 1 / 32 |
| 60 or Better | 1 / 32 |
| 65 or Better | 1 / 32 |
Condition Census What Is This?
#1 PR66 PCGS grade
Eliasberg specimen Samuel W. Brown (employed at the mint from 1903 to November 1913) - August Wagner (who advertised the five 1913 Liberty Nickels for sale in The Numismatist in late 1923 and early 1924) - Stephen K. Nagy (possibly a Wagner accomplice) - Wayte Raymond (either as owner or broker) - Col. E.H.R. Green Collection (Green purchased all five 1913 Liberty Nickels from Wayte Raymond circa 1924-1926) - Burdette G. Johnson & Eric P. Newman (who purchased all five 1913 Liberty Nickels from the Green estates for $2,000 in December 1941 - this is the piece Newman selected as the one to keep for his personal collection) - purchased by Beverly Hills, California dealers Kosoff and Kriesberg and sold to Louis Eliasberg. - Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection - Bowers & Merena 5/1996:807, $1,485,000 (the first U.S. coin to sell for over $1,000,000) - Jay Parino - Superior 3/2001:728 (as NGC PR66), $1,840,000 - subsequently graded PCGS PR66 |
#2 PR64 PCGS grade
Olsen-Hydeman specimen Samuel W. Brown (employed at the mint from 1903 to November 1913) - August Wagner (who advertised the five 1913 Liberty Nickels for sale in The Numismatist in late 1923 and early 1924) - Stephen K. Nagy (possibly a Wagner accomplice) - Wayte Raymond (either as owner or broker) - Col. E.H.R. Green Collection (Green purchased all five 1913 Liberty Nickels from Wayte Raymond circa 1924-1926) - Burdette G. Johnson & Eric P. Newman (who purchased all five 1913 Liberty Nickels from the Green estates for $2,000 in December 1941) - James Kelly (who paid $750 each for three of the 1913 Liberty Nickels in March 1943) - Fred E. Olsen Collection (Olsen paid $900 circa 1943-1944) - B. Max Mehl 11/1944:1551, $3,750 - B. Max Mehl - B. Max Mehl 6/1947:2798, $3,750 (though billed as the Will W. Neil Collection, it was B. Max Mehl who owned and consigned the 1913 Liberty Nickel) - King Farouk Collection (per Walter Breen's Encyclopedia, but possibly an error) - if Farouk, then Sotheby's "Palace Collection" 2/1954 - Edwin Hydeman Collection - Abe Kosoff 3/1961:280, reportedly bought back by Hydeman at $50,000 - World-Wide Coin Investments (purchased in 1972 from Abe Kosoff for a then record $100,000) - Bowers & Ruddy (as fifty percent owners with World-Wide Coin Investments - World-Wide Coin Investments (a full owners) - Robert L. Hughes Enterprises (1977) - Superior Galleries (1977) - Dr. Jerry Buss Collection - Superior 1/1985:366, $385,000 - Reed Hawn Collection - Stack's 10/1993:245, $962,500 - Spectrum Numismatics - Nevada investor (2002) - - Bruce Morelan and Legend Numismatics (2004) - John Albanese & Blanchard & Co. - Greensboro Collection - Heritage 1/2010:2455, $3,737,500 - Heritage 1/2014:5161 (as NGC PR64 5050505-050), $3,290,000 |
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#3 PR63 PCGS grade
Walton specimen Samuel W. Brown (employed at the mint from 1903 to November 1913) - August Wagner (who advertised the five 1913 Liberty Nickels for sale in The Numismatist in late 1923 and early 1924) - Stephen K. Nagy (possibly a Wagner accomplice) - Wayte Raymond (either as owner or broker) - Col. E.H.R. Green Collection (Green purchased all five 1913 Liberty Nickels from Wayte Raymond circa 1924-1926) - Burdette G. Johnson & Eric P. Newman (who purchased all five 1913 Liberty Nickels from the Green estates for $2,000 in December 1941) - James Kelly (who paid $750 each for three of the 1913 Liberty Nickels in March 1943) - Dr. Conway A. Bolt - possibly R.J. Reynolds and family (North Carolina) - George O. Walton Collection (-1962) - Melba Givens and heirs (1962-2003) - Heritage 4/25/2013:4153, $3,172,500 - Jeff Garrett and Larry Lee (2013-) |
#4 PR62 PCGS Estimated grade
Norweb specimen Samuel W. Brown (employed at the mint from 1903 to November 1913) - August Wagner (who advertised the five 1913 Liberty Nickels for sale in The Numismatist in late 1923 and early 1924) - Stephen K. Nagy (possibly a Wagner accomplice) - Wayte Raymond (either as owner or broker) - Col. E.H.R. Green Collection (Green purchased all five 1913 Liberty Nickels from Wayte Raymond circa 1924-1926) - Burdette G. Johnson & Eric P. Newman (who purchased all five 1913 Liberty Nickels from the Green estates for $2,000 in December 1941) - F.C.C. Boyd Collection - Abe Kosoff & Abner Kreisberg (Numismatic Gallery) - King Farouk of Egypt - Sotheby's "Palace Collection" 2/1954 - Abe Kosoff & Sol Kaplan - Norweb family (1954-1977) - Smithsonian Institution, by donation from the Norweb family (1977 to date) |
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#5 PR55 PCGS Estimated grade
McDermott-Bebee specimen Samuel W. Brown (employed at the mint from 1903 to November 1913) - August Wagner (who advertised the five 1913 Liberty Nickels for sale in The Numismatist in late 1923 and early 1924) - Stephen K. Nagy (possibly a Wagner accomplice) - Wayte Raymond (either as owner or broker) - Col. E.H.R. Green Collection (Green purchased all five 1913 Liberty Nickels from Wayte Raymond circa 1924-1926) - Burdette G. Johnson & Eric P. Newman (who purchased all five 1913 Liberty Nickels from the Green estates for $2,000 in December 1941) - James Kelly (who paid $750 each for three of the 1913 Liberty Nickels in March 1943) - J. V. McDermott (?-1967), carried as "pocket change" by McDermott who, for years, delighted in taking the coin out of his pocket and showing it to patrons at bars at coin shows, hence the slightly circulated appearance. - Paramount International Coin auction (1967) of McDermott coin. - Aubrey & Adeline Bebee (1967-1989), purchased at Paramount Bebee auction for $46,000 - American Numismatic Association Museum (1989 to date) by donation from Aubrey & Adeline BeBee |
On April 25, 2013, the long-lost, then rediscovered, 1913 Liberty Nickel once owned by George Walton sold at auction for $3,172,500 to Jeff Garrett of Lexington, KY and Larry Lee of Panama City, FL. The complete provenance for this PCGS PR63 example is listed in the PCGS Condition Census. In 2003, Bowers & Merena (a division of Collectors Universe at the time) offered a $10,000 reward for the opportunity to view the fifth specimen, which until then had been considered lost. This coin was the result. The Walton family and heirs had owned the coin the entire time, but had been led to believe that it was counterfeit. A team of experts authenticated the coin in 2003 and the $10,000 reward was paid out. Subsequently, the Walton 1913 Liberty Head Nickel was loaned to the American Numismatic Association where it was displayed for many years. In terms of condition, the Walton Nickel is considered the third finest of the five known examples.