1883 Liberty Head V Nickel — No CENTS Variety

1883 Liberty Head V Nickel — No CENTS Variety

Own a fascinating piece of American numismatic history with this 1883 Liberty Head V Nickel — No CENTS Variety, the original design issued during the first year of the Liberty Head Nickel series.

The Liberty Head Nickel, commonly known as the V Nickel, was produced from 1883 through 1913 and remains one of the most recognizable designs in classic United States five-cent coinage.

Designed by Charles E. Barber, the series replaced the Shield Nickel and introduced an elegant portrait of Lady Liberty alongside a distinctive Roman numeral denomination.

The obverse features a left-facing portrait of Lady Liberty wearing a coronet inscribed LIBERTY. Thirteen stars surround the portrait, representing the original American colonies, with the date 1883 positioned beneath Liberty.

The reverse displays a large Roman numeral V, representing the coin's five-cent denomination, surrounded by a decorative wreath. The inscriptions UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and E PLURIBUS UNUM complete the design.

The original 1883 design did not include the word CENTS, making it an unusual issue in American coinage history.

Shortly after its introduction, concerns arose that individuals could gold-plate the nickel and attempt to pass it as a five-dollar gold coin. These altered pieces became popularly known as Racketeer Nickels.

To address the confusion, the United States Mint modified the reverse later in 1883 by adding the word CENTS beneath the wreath.

This created two distinct collectible varieties for the first year of the Liberty Head Nickel series: the 1883 No CENTS and the 1883 With CENTS.

With an original business-strike mintage of 5,474,300 coins, the 1883 No CENTS Liberty Head Nickel remains a popular choice for collectors seeking an affordable and historically interesting first-year type coin.

Whether collected as part of a Liberty Head Nickel series, a classic United States type set, or a collection of unusual American coin designs, the 1883 No CENTS V Nickel offers a memorable connection to the history of United States coinage.

Product Details

• Denomination: Five Cents ($0.05 USD)

• Year: 1883

• Mint: Philadelphia (No Mint Mark)

• Series: Liberty Head Nickel (1883–1913)

• Variety: No CENTS

• Original Mintage: 5,474,300 business strikes

• Composition: 75% Copper, 25% Nickel

• Weight: 5.00 grams

• Diameter: 21.2 mm

• Designer: Charles E. Barber

• Obverse: Left-facing portrait of Liberty wearing a coronet, surrounded by thirteen stars

• Reverse: Roman numeral V within a decorative wreath, without the word CENTS

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