1883 Racketeer Nickel - Gold Plated For Sale
These keep getting harder to find! The 1883 Racketeer Nickel is likely the most infamous coin of all time! For a small while in 1883, the U.S. Mint produced nickels without the word "Cents." The coin simply had a roman numeral "V" on the reverse. This was quickly noticed and people started to plate them in gold and would try to pass them off as $5 Gold coins! They were just about the size of a $5 gold coin and they had the number $5 on them, so countless people fell for this trick.
Don't forget, $5 in 1883 is equivalent to about $125 in today's money. After countless people were duped, the Mint finally put the word "cents" on the coin to prevent this from happening any more. These 1883 Gold Plated Racketeer Nickels serve as a wonderful collectable that tell a story like none other!
You will receive (1) gold plated 1883 "V" Nickel in circulated condition.
1883 Racketeer Nickel
The 1883 Racketeer Nickel is a famous coin, originally a Liberty Head nickel, that was gold-plated by fraudsters to pass it off as a $5 gold piece. When the U.S. Mint first issued the Liberty Head nickel in 1883, it lacked the word "cents," making it look similar to the $5 gold coin. Enterprising criminals plated these nickels with gold and used them to deceive merchants and the public. This led to the mint adding the word "cents" to the coin later in the year. Today, the 1883 Racketeer Nickel is a sought-after collectible, valued for its unique place in numismatic history and its story of deception.
Highlights
- A true piece of Americana
- Nice condition
- Genuine gold plated
Learn more about the history of the 1883 Racketeer Nickel.
