1913 Proof Nickel Pattern - J-1789/1950

Coin Details

Auction Record

Eliasberg specimen (PR-67): $4,560,000, Heritage Auctions, April 2018. Walton specimen (VF-20): $3,172,500, Heritage Auctions, April 2013.

Description

Judd-1789, also cataloged as Judd-1950 in later editions, is one of the most celebrated coins in American numismatics — the 1913 Liberty Head nickel. Only five specimens exist, all struck clandestinely at the Philadelphia Mint after the Liberty Head design had been officially replaced by James Earle Fraser's Buffalo Nickel. The coins have been produced by Samuel W. Brown, a Mint employee who first displayed them publicly at the 1920 American Numismatic Association convention in Chicago, offering $500 each — an extraordinary sum at the time. The five specimens have been traced through a remarkable chain of ownership: Brown sold all five to collector August Wagner, who sold them to Philadelphia dealer Eric P. Newman's associate Colonel E.H.R. Green, son of the legendary Hetty Green. After Green's death in 1936, the five coins were separated and have followed independent paths through some of the most famous collections in numismatic history. The J-1789/1950 cataloging reflects the coin's dual Judd listing — it was originally cataloged as J-1789 and later reassigned to J-1950 in revised editions of the Judd reference. This particular proof striking displays the classic Liberty Head obverse by Charles Barber with the Roman numeral V reverse, identical to the regular-issue 1912 nickels but bearing the unauthorized 1913 date.

Rarity Notes

R-8+. Only 5 specimens known in any condition. The 1913 Liberty Head nickel is consistently ranked among the top 5 most valuable United States coins. Individual specimens have sold for between $3.7 million and $4.56 million at auction. The Eliasberg specimen, the finest known at PR-67, realized $4.56 million at Heritage Auctions in 2018.

Cross References

Judd J-1789, also J-1950; Pollock P-2006; Samuel W. Brown (attributed striker); Charles Barber (designer); cf. J-1789a, J-1790/1954 (companion specimens)