Interesting story...there is still one out there, who will find it?

[Kiros32]

Last sold at public auction for $1,485,000 in May 1996 at the Eliasberg auction conducted by Bowers and Merena. In 1913, the Liberty Head Nickel was abandoned for the new Indian or Buffalo Nickel. Only five clandestine specimens of the famous 1913 Liberty Head Nickels were actually struck. Four of these are accounted for, while one remains missing. This possibly lost in a fatal automobile accident in the 1960's. The American Numismatic Association has posted a $5,000 reward just for proof that this coin is still out there somewhere. The reward remains unclaimed to the best of this writer's knowledge.

 

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[gollum]

Actually, here is the latest 1913 Liberty Nickel sale!

Press Release:
"Blanchard and Company, Inc., the nation’s leading retail dealer of rare coins and precious metals, announced that it has negotiated the sale of one of the most sought-after coins in the world, a 1913 Liberty Head “V” nickel, for a record price of $3 million."

Best,

Mike

 

[gollum]

! Even better!

Press Release:
"New Record Price For 1913 Liberty Nickel: $4.15 Million

Ron Guth - June 3, 2005


(Long Beach, California) - The finest of the five known 1913 Liberty Head nickels, the Eliasberg/Lee specimen certified PCGS Proof 66, has been sold for $4,150,000. It is the highest price ever paid for one of the legendary coins and the second highest price ever reported for any rare coin."

Here is some more information on the "lost" coin:
"Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC), the official grading service of the American Numismatic Association (ANA), has confirmed the authenticity of the 1913 Liberty Head nickel that was rediscovered at the ANA convention in Baltimore this summer after being out of sight for more than 40 years. For the first time since 1920, all five of the 1913 Liberty Head nickels were displayed at the ANA World's Fair of MoneyR in Baltimore, July 30-August 3. This re-discovered specimen disappeared after a 1962 auto accident that took the life of its owner, George O. Walton. Thought to be an altered date, the coin remained closeted until it was examined at the show in Baltimore and declared authentic. It now is on loan to the ANA Money Museum in Colorado Springs, Colorado."

It's sad that we can't find that one, but the good news is that nobody has any clue as to why or how the coins were struck! Therefore, nobody knows for absolutely certain how many coins were struck. There could be others out there waiting to be found!

Best,
Mike

 

[Kiros32]

Was either of these the missing fifth coin?

 

[gollum]

Reread my last post. I made some additions to it.

I don't normally like to quote Wikipedia, but it has a very good article on these coins (with pics of each)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1913_Liberty_Head_Nickel

best,
Mike

 

[gollum]

Here is the full story on the "missing" Walton Coin:

http://www.ngccoin.com/news/viewarticle.asp?IDArticle=153

interesting story.

Mike

 

[Kiros32]

Thanks!

 

[gollum]

Any time.

Mike