1883 (No Cents) V Nickel

The 1883 (No Cents) V Nickel, also known as the Liberty Head Nickel, is the first in the series. It had a total mintage of over 5.4 million coins struck at the Philadelphia Mint. It was created to replace the Shield Nickel that came before it which was known to have production issues. Millions of the V Nickel were produced to meet the commercial demand, especially as the popularity of vending and coin-operated machines rose. These were originally struck with the word “CENTS” removed, but this caused massive problems where the coin was being passed off as a $5 gold piece and the mint corrected it. 

 

History of the 1883 (No Cents) V Nickel

The 1883 (No CENTS) V Nickel is one of two varieties struck this year. The second had the word cents added back to prevent fraud with the coin. This is a very valuable and unique coin, not only because of its history, but also because it was the first in the series. The coin was designed by Charles E. Barber and the obverse features a left-facing head of Lady Liberty with 13 stars surrounding her. The reverse features a roman numeral “V” at the center, hence the name, with a wreath around the number.

 

1883 (No Cents) Liberty Head V Nickel Value

The 1883 (No Cents) Liberty Head V Nickel value reaches upwards of $12,000 for the highest grades of the coin. When people heard that the coin would potentially be recalled and replaced with the word “cents,” many hoarded the coins. It’s relatively easy to find this coin in Mint State up to about MS66, and very few exist in MS67. The 1883 (No Cents) V Nickel would make a valuable addition to any Liberty Head Nickel collection. 

 

Type of coin: Nickel

Year: 1883 (No Cents) V Nickel

V Nickel Mint Mark: Philadelphia

Total mintage: 5,474,300

Metal content: 75% Copper, 25% Nickel

Face value: Five Cents

Weight: 5.00 grams

Edge: Plain

Designer: Charles E. Barber

Diameter: 21.20 millimeters