1885 Liberty Head Nickel
Base
About This Coin
The 1885 Liberty Head Nickel is a United States nickel from the Liberty Head Nickels 1883-1912 series — an early issue, 3rd of 31 years in the series. In 1885, coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a combined mintage of 1.5 million. This represents the second-lowest annual mintage in the series, below the series median of 16.8 million. The obverse features Liberty facing left wearing a coronet inscribed LIBERTY, surrounded by stars and the reverse displays a Roman numeral V (five) within a wreath of corn, cotton, and wheat. A key date with a mintage of only 1,476,490 — the lowest regular-issue mintage in the series. Struck in 75% copper, 25% nickel, weighing 5 grams, 21.2 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. Across its variants, estimated values range from $344 to $4.2K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $75K in MS67 grade at American Numismatic Rarities. Designed by Charles E. Barber.
Value Estimates
Values as of May 2026 — range across all strike types, reflecting typical grades (G-4 through MS-63). Coins in lower or exceptional grades may fall outside this range.
