Major types of US five-cent pieces
Nickels appear in four major types, discussed in this article.
Shield nickel (1866–1883)
The shield nickel first appeared in 1866, following the end of the Civil War. The front of the coin copied the design of a shield from the two-cent piece and the reverse showed a large 5 within a circle of stars, with rays of light between the stars. (Later, the rays were dropped from the design.) This design type lasted until 1883, at which time the government felt secure enough to resurrect the head of Liberty.
Liberty-head or V nickel (1883–1913)
In 1883, Liberty reappeared on the five-cent coins, this time as a head instead of a lady sitting on a rock (compare with the half dimes in Chapter 11). The back of the coin featured a large V (see Figure 10-20), the Roman numeral for five. Through an oversight, the word Cents was left off the coin, creating an opportunity for con men to gold-plate the coins and pass them off as $5 gold pieces to immigrants! Needless to say, this problem was fixed immediately, creating two major varieties for 1883. In 1913, the last year that V nickels were made, only five examples were struck, creating one of the greatest rarities in the entire U.S. coin series.
Indian-head or buffalo nickel (1913–1938)
As part of a major redesign of U.S. coins, the nickel got a makeover in 1913 when Liberty was replaced with the head of a Native American chief, and the large V was replaced with an American bison. This new design proved extremely popular and lasted until 1938. Lots of collectors favor this purely American design.
Jefferson head (1938 to present)
The nickel went presidential in 1938, when Thomas Jefferson's image was placed on the front of the five-cent piece and his home, Monticello, was added to the back.
Clearly, the trend at the time was toward adding famous historical figures to coins. In 1909, Lincoln appeared on the cent and in 1932, Washington made it onto the quarter dollar. The trend continued in 1946, when Franklin Roosevelt showed up on the dime, and in 1948, when Benjamin Franklin appeared on the half dollar. So it was no surprise when Jefferson appeared on the nickel, where he and his house remain today.
Questions and Answers
A collection of two-cent pieces makes a great conversation piece, especially when you show it to non-collectors, most of whom haven't the faintest clue that the United States made such a "funny" denomination. Of course, the fact that you have several of them will make you seem really cool.
The 20-cent piece was only slightly smaller than a quarter dollar, and both coins shared a Seated Liberty design. Because of the similarities in size and design, the public had great difficulty in telling the two coins apart.
Nickels were made in four major types beginning in 1866. Collectors gravitate to this series because there are so many affordable dates and because of the draw of the purely American design on the Indian-head/buffalo type. You can obtain many of the coins you need for your collection from circulation, which is a fun and easy way to start. When you're ready to get serious about this series, consider the following ways of collecting:
Three-cent nickels come in only one type, they were made over a period of slightly over 20 years, and all the dates are within the means of most collectors. Add the curiosity factor of the odd denomination, and you have a winning collection.
Dollars appear in nine major types, which we discuss in this article.
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