A Liberty Head nickel, the "V nickel" struck from 1883 to 1912, is worth about $2-10 in worn condition for the common dates as of late 2026. The dates from 1897 to 1912 at Philadelphia were struck by the tens of millions, and a worn one with a full date sells for a few dollars, while a coin worn so flat that the date is gone sells for well under a dollar. The 1883 without the word CENTS is the famous one that everyone has heard of, but it was saved in huge numbers and sells for about $7-15 worn and $30-120 uncirculated. The real keys are the 1885, at about $350-600 in Good, the 1886, at about $200-350 in Good, and the 1912-S, at about $100-200 in Good to Very Good. Any uncirculated V nickel is worth at least about $150, and the five 1913 coins are a different world, each worth millions and all accounted for.
So the date sorts the pile, and condition sets the price within it. A V nickel is 75 percent copper and 25 percent nickel, with no silver, so there is no metal floor to fall back on. What a collector pays is all there is.
Quick answer
- Common dates 1887-1912 in worn condition: about $2-10. No readable date: about $0.25-1.
- 1883 no CENTS: about $7-15 worn, $30-120 uncirculated. 1883 with CENTS: about $20-35 worn.
- Key dates in Good: 1885 about $350-600, 1886 about $200-350, 1912-S about $100-200.
- Uncirculated common dates: about $150-500 depending on grade. Proofs: a few hundred dollars and up.
- A 1913 Liberty nickel in your drawer is a copy or an altered date. All five genuine coins are known.
How to identify and value a Liberty nickel, step by step
- Confirm the design. The obverse shows Liberty facing left with a coronet inscribed LIBERTY and thirteen stars around the rim. The reverse carries a large Roman numeral V inside a wreath, with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and E PLURIBUS UNUM. If the reverse shows a bison, you have a Buffalo nickel; if it shows a building, it is a Jefferson.
- Read the date. It sits below the bust. On worn coins the date is the first thing to fade, so tilt the coin under a lamp. A coin with no readable date is valued as a filler at well under a dollar.
- Check the reverse for CENTS. On 1883 coins only, look below the wreath. Early 1883 coins have only the V. Later 1883 coins and every year after carry the word CENTS beneath the wreath, and E PLURIBUS UNUM moved above it.
- Find the mint mark, if any. Almost every V nickel was struck at Philadelphia and has no mint mark. Only in 1912 did Denver and San Francisco strike them, and the D or S sits on the reverse to the left of the word CENTS, below the dot. A coin with no letter there is a Philadelphia coin.
- Look for alterations on key dates. The 1885, 1886 and 1912-S are the dates people fake by changing a digit or adding a mint mark. Look at the last digit under magnification for tooling marks or a shape that does not match the other digits, and at the S for a seam around it.
- Judge the wear. Look at LIBERTY on the coronet: all seven letters visible is Fine or better, and a full sharp band is Very Fine. On the reverse, the wreath detail and the lines in the V show wear quickly. Luster on the high points of the cheek and coronet means it may be uncirculated.
- Check for problems. Cleaning, scratches, corrosion and holes all cut the price, often by half or more on a key date. A V nickel that looks bright pink or yellow in a worn grade has usually been cleaned.
- Price from sold results for the exact date and grade. Retail guides run above what dealers pay, so the sold listings and auction records for coins in the same grade are the honest benchmark.
What Liberty nickels sell for
Figures are retail-level prices as of late 2026, drawn from current price guides and recorded sales. Dealers pay less, often 50 to 70 percent of these numbers for common coins.
| Date | Mintage | Good (G4) | Fine (F12) | Extremely Fine (XF40) | Uncirculated (MS63) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1883 no CENTS | 5.47 million | $7-10 | $10-15 | $20-30 | $80-120 |
| 1883 with CENTS | 16 million | $20-30 | $35-50 | $90-120 | $300-400 |
| 1884 | 11 million | $20-30 | $35-50 | $80-110 | $350-450 |
| 1885 | 1.47 million | $350-600 | $800-1,000 | $1,500-2,000 | $4,000-5,000 |
| 1886 | 3.3 million | $200-350 | $400-550 | $1,000-1,300 | $3,000-3,500 |
| 1887-1896 | 10-17 million each | $8-20 | $18-40 | $50-110 | $250-500 |
| 1897-1911 | Tens of millions | $2-6 | $5-15 | $25-50 | $180-250 |
| 1912 | 26 million | $2-6 | $5-15 | $25-50 | $180-250 |
| 1912-D | 8.5 million | $5-10 | $20-35 | $120-170 | $550-700 |
| 1912-S | 238,000 | $100-200 | $250-350 | $1,000-1,300 | $3,000-4,000 |
A few notes. The 1888 and 1894 sit at the top of the 1887-1896 row, at about $20-40 in Good, and the 1890, 1891 and 1895 near the bottom. Proof V nickels were struck every year from 1883 to 1912 for collectors, and common-date proofs in decent condition sell for a few hundred dollars, while the 1885 and 1886 proofs run well into four figures. The 1913 Liberty nickel was never an official issue: five were struck outside the regular coinage, all five are traced, and they have sold in the millions of dollars.
What changes the price
| Factor | Effect on value |
|---|---|
| Readable date | Without one, the coin is about $0.25-1 regardless of what it once was |
| Full LIBERTY on the coronet | Marks Fine and better; can double or triple a worn common date |
| Original surfaces | Even brown or gray toning is normal and preferred; bright cleaned coins lose half or more |
| Mint luster | The jump from AU to MS can be several times over on common dates |
| Altered or added digits | A tooled 1885, 1886 or 1912-S is worth only what the underlying common date is |
| Holes and jewelry loops | Common for 1883 no CENTS coins; cut value to a few dollars |
| Gold plating with a reeded edge | The 1883 "racketeer" nickel. Period examples have a small collector market; modern plated coins are novelties |
| Grading service holder | Matters for key dates and uncirculated coins, where buyers want the authenticity settled |
Common mistakes
- Thinking the 1883 no CENTS is rare. Over five million were struck and the public hoarded them as soon as the story spread. A worn one is a $7-15 coin.
- Assuming a gold coin with a V on it is valuable. Gold-plated 1883 nickels were passed as $5 gold pieces in the 1880s, and many more were plated later as souvenirs. A plated nickel is worth a few dollars to perhaps $20-50 for an old, convincing piece, not gold value.
- Trusting a 1913 date. Every 1913 Liberty nickel offered at a flea market or online is a replica or an altered 1903 or 1910. The five real ones are in museums or famous collections.
- Reading a dateless coin as a key. A V nickel with no date cannot be a 1885 to a buyer, no matter what the family story says.
- Missing a mint mark or adding one in your head. Only 1912 has D and S coins. A dot or bump on the reverse of any other year is just a dot.
- Cleaning the coin. Polishing strips the original surface and collectors pay noticeably less for it. Our guide on whether you should clean old coins explains why.
How WorthPic reads Liberty nickel photos
WorthPic runs on the newest and most capable AI model available, tuned for exactly this kind of identification. For a V nickel it reads the date under the bust, checks the reverse for the word CENTS on 1883 coins and for a D or S beside it on 1912 coins, and judges wear from how much of LIBERTY remains on the coronet and how much detail is left in the wreath. It looks for the signs of cleaning, holes and plating, and then gives an honest value range for the date in that condition band. What it cannot know from a photo is whether the last digit of a key date has been tooled or a mint mark added, because that often needs a loupe and a tilted light on the coin itself, and it will say so for any 1885, 1886 or 1912-S. It identifies and estimates. It does not authenticate, grade or appraise.
What to photograph
- The obverse straight on, in even daylight or under one lamp, filling the frame, so the date and LIBERTY on the coronet are both readable.
- The reverse straight on, showing the V, the wreath and the area below it where CENTS and any mint mark sit.
- The date close up, and on a key date, a second shot at an angle so the light rakes across the digits.
- The mint mark close up on a 1912-D or 1912-S.
- The edge, if the coin is gold colored, to show whether it is plain or has reeding cut into it.
- Both sides of any holder if the coin is already slabbed, so the label and its serial number are visible.
When to get it looked at in person
A coin dealer can tell you in a minute whether a worn V nickel is a common date, and most will buy rolls and lots of them at a small premium over face. For an 1885, 1886 or 1912-S, or for any coin that looks uncirculated, it is worth sending to PCGS or NGC. They confirm the date has not been altered and assign a grade, and buyers pay for that settled question. Grading fees run about $20-60 per coin, which makes sense for the keys and for coins that might be mint state, and not for a worn 1900. A coin club meeting or a local show is a good place for a second opinion before you spend the fee. If you have a mixed jar of older nickels, our guide to what nickels are worth money sorts the whole lot, and the coin grading scale explains what Good, Fine and MS63 mean in practice. The nickel that followed in 1938 is covered in our Jefferson nickel value guide.