| The Liberty Nickel, commonly known as the "V" | | | | machinery and then finally striking the coins, it is |
| nickel for the Roman Numeral "V" on the reverse | | | | amazing that no-one came forward to claim |
| was officially produced from 1883 to 1912. We | | | | participation or to profit from the coins. |
| use the word officially because one of the most | | | | After running the ad, Brown displayed the nickels |
| famous coins of all is the 1913 Liberty Nickel which | | | | in 1920 at an ANA convention. Now the word was |
| was produced under suspect circumstances. | | | | out, 1913 Liberty Nickels actually existed. A few |
| Sometime well after normal production stopped | | | | years later, a prominent coin dealer of the time, |
| for the Liberty Nickel series, a few 1913 Liberty | | | | B. Max Mehl or Fort Worth, TX, advertised to pay |
| Nickels surfaced. In December 1919, Samuel W. | | | | $50 a piece for a 1913 Liberty Head Nickel. He |
| Brown put an advertisement in The Numismatist | | | | knew he would never get one though. He was a |
| offering to pay $500 for 1913 Liberty Nickels. It is | | | | marketing genius and as a result of his |
| a known fact that he was the first person to | | | | advertisements, coin collecting became all the rage |
| advertise for this date. It turns out; Brown was | | | | and his publication, Star Rare Coin Encyclopedia |
| employed by the mint at the time of the | | | | sold very well. People began checking there |
| suspected minting of the 1913 coins. He worked in | | | | change in hopes of finding the coin. To this day |
| the coining department. Although no one now | | | | though, only 5 have ever surfaced and it is |
| knows for sure how the 1913 coins were | | | | believed that the five known, are the only ones in |
| produced, there are a couple theories: | | | | existence. |
| It is speculated that the coins were produced in | | | | In January 1924, August Wagner, a Philadelphia |
| late 1912 when dies for the next years coinage | | | | coin dealer advertised for sale the five nickels |
| were being made, and before it was decided that | | | | presumably on behalf of Samuel Brown. From |
| 1913 would be the introduction of the Buffalo | | | | there, they have had a host of owners. Until |
| Nickel. | | | | recently, one of the 5 pieces (the Walton Coin) |
| The coins could have been produced early | | | | had been missing for 40 years. Mr. Walton-a |
| January 1913. The first "experimental" Buffalo | | | | dealer, would take his coin to shows along with a |
| Nickels were struck on January 7th, 1913 but | | | | duplicate. On his way to a show he was killed in a |
| production did not take place until February 15, | | | | car wreck and his coins were scattered on the |
| due to various design problems. It would not have | | | | roadside. His heirs did get his coins back, but were |
| been unusual for someone in the Medal | | | | never sure if the 1913 Liberty Nickel coin they had |
| Department of the Mint to strike a few examples | | | | was the fake or the original. A major dealership |
| for cabinet/display purposes. Since the Buffalo | | | | once called the real coin a fake. In 2003 at the |
| Nickel was not yet officially approved, striking a | | | | ANA Show, the coin was authenticated by |
| few Liberty Nickels would not have been illegal. | | | | several experts and the mystery of the missing |
| While no one knows for sure how Brown came | | | | coin ended. It was also at this convention that all |
| into possession of the nickels, it is possible that he | | | | 5 1913 Liberty Nickels were displayed together for |
| received them from engraver George T. Morgan, | | | | the first time since 1920. |
| who produced rarities upon occasion for sale to | | | | How famous is the 1913 Liberty Nickel? It was |
| dealers. Considering the effort required to produce | | | | the first coin to sell for over one-million dollars. It |
| them, such as making the dies, preparing the | | | | was also featured on the old show Hawaii Five-0. |