From late 1883 through 1912, Liberty nickels with CENTS were minted continuously, both as Proofs and business strikes. A rarity was created in 1885, when the business strike mintage dropped to slightly over 1.4 million, a tiny fraction of what it had been in earlier years. The next year, 1886, saw a production of only 3.3 million, thus also creating a scarce issue. In 1912, Liberty nickels were struck at branch mints for the first time. The 1912-D and 1912-S were both produced in relatively low quantities for the period, with the 1912-S registering just 238,000 coins.
Date | Mintage | Good | Fine | Extremely Fine | Uncirculated |
Liberty Head nickel 1883 | Standard: 16 026 200 Proof: 6 783 | $15,00 | $15,00 | $60,00 | $82,00 |
Liberty Head nickel 1884 | Standard : 11 270 000 Proof: 3 942 | $4,00 | $9,00 | ||
Liberty Head nickel 1885 (Very Rare) | Standard : 1 472 700 Proof: 3 790 | $500,00 | |||
Liberty Head nickel 1886 Very Rare | Standard : 3 326 000 Proof: 4 290 | ||||
Liberty Head nickel 1887 | Standard : 15 260 692 Proof: 2 960 | $1,50 | $15,00 | $15,00 | |
Liberty Head nickel 1888 Rare | Standard : 10 167 901 Proof: 4 582 | $8,00 | $20,00 | ||
Liberty Head nickel 1889 | Standard : 15 878 025 Proof: 3 336 | $3,00 | $8,00 | $25,00 | |
Liberty Head nickel 1890 | Standard : 16 256 532 Proof: 2 740 | $4,00 | $7,00 | $11,00 | |
Liberty Head nickel 1891 | Standard : 16 832 000 Proof: 2 350 | $2,50 | $7,00 | ||
Liberty Head nickel 1892 | Standard : 11 696 897 Proof: 2 745 | $3,00 | $4,00 | € 7.00 | |
Liberty Head nickel 1893 | Standard : 13 368 000 Proof: 2 195 | $3,00 | $2,00 | $25,00 | |
Liberty Head nickel 1894 | Standard : 5 410 500 Proof: 2 632 | $3,00 | |||
Liberty Head nickel 1895 | Standard : 9 977 822 Proof: 2 062 | $2,50 | $4,00 | $10,00 | |
Liberty Head nickel 1896 | Standard : 8 841 058 Proof: 1 862 | $1,50 | $4,00 | $25,00 | |
Liberty Head nickel 1897 | Standard : 20 426 797 Proof: 1 938 | $1,50 | $3,00 | ||
Liberty Head nickel 1898 | Standard : 12 530 292 Proof: 1 795 | $1,00 | $3,00 | ||
Liberty Head nickel 1899 | Standard : 26 027 000 Proof: 2 031 | $1,00 | $2,00 | € 8.00 | |
Liberty Head nickel 1900 | Standard : 27 253 733 Proof: 2 262 | $1,50 | $2,00 | $10,00 | |
Liberty Head nickel 1901 | Standard : 26 478 228 Proof: 1 985 | $1,50 | $2,00 | $21,00 | |
Liberty Head nickel 1902 | Standard : 31 487 561 Proof: 2 018 | $1,00 | € 2.00 | € 5.00 | |
Liberty Head nickel 1903 | Standard : 28 004 935 Proof: 1 790 | $1,00 | $1,50 | $4,00 | |
Liberty Head nickel 1904 | Standard : 21 403 167 Proof: 1 817 | $1,50 | $1,50 | $3,50 | |
Liberty Head nickel 1905 | Standard : 29 825 124 Proof: 2 152 | $1,50 | $2,00 | $3,00 | |
Liberty Head nickel 1906 | Standard : 38 612 000 Proof: 1 725 | $1,50 | $2,50 | € 4.00 | |
Liberty Head nickel 1907 | Standard : 39 213 325 Proof: 1 475 | $1,50 | $2,50 | € 3.00 | |
Liberty Head nickel 1908 | Standard : 22 684 557 Proof: 1 620 | $1,50 | $3,00 | $19,00 | |
Liberty Head nickel 1909 | Standard : 11 585 763 Proof: 4 763 | $2,00 | $2,00 | € 7.00 | |
Liberty Head nickel 1910 | Standard : 30 166 948 Proof: 2 405 | $1,50 | $1,50 | $9,00 | |
Liberty Head nickel 1911 | Standard : 39 557 639 Proof: 1 733 | $1,50 | € 2.00 | $13,00 | $34,00 |
Liberty Head nickel 1912 | Standard : 26 234 569 Proof: 2 145 | $1,50 | $2,00 | $11,00 | |
Liberty Head nickel 1912 D | Standard : 8 474 000 Proof: | $2,00 | $6,00 | $8,00 | |
Liberty Head nickel 1912 S Very Rare | Standard : 238 000 Proof: | $106,00 | $115,00 | ||
Liberty Head nickel 1913 Extremely Rare, 5 Known | 5 |
As Proofs were made continuously for collectors, numismatists desiring top grade specimens today can obtain Proof examples without difficulty, although Proof-64 and Proof-65 pieces are scarcer than lower grades and may take some time to find, especially if pieces with a high degree of aesthetic appeal are desired. Business strikes are also readily available for most issues, with dates from 1897 through 1912 being the easiest to find. Among earlier issues, the 1885 and 1886 in MS-65 grade are quite rare, much more so than with Proof finish. Putting together a set of top grade business strikes can be a challenge.
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