United States 1923 5 cents
The Indian Head nickel superseded the Liberty Head nickel in 1913 as part of the general freshening of coinage designs started by Theodore Roosevelt. The first issues had the "FIVE CENTS" on a grassy mound on the reverse; this was revised mid-year to put the denomination under an exergue to prevent it from wearing off. This was never done to the date, however, and dealer junk boxes are filled with "dateless" buffalo nickels (the beast on the reverse is a bison, not a buffalo, but buffalo nickel is what it's called). Many dates, including the 1923-S, come poorly struck and lack detail in the Indian's hair and on the bison's pelt. This specimen was lot 1925 in Stephen Album sale 39 (Santa Rosa, CA, January 2021), where it sold for $192. The catalog description[1] noted, "UNITED STATES: 5 cents, 1923, PCGS graded MS64, Buffalo type, in old green PCGS GEN-2.2 holder. By the summer of 1923 economic activity had picked up enough that additional nickels were needed for circulation. By year's end the Philadelphia Mint produced enough coins for commerce."
Recorded mintage: 35,715,000.
Specification: 5 g, copper-nickel, 21.2 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: KM 134.
- Alexander, David T., Coin World Comprehensive Catalog & Encyclopedia of United States Coins, Sidney, OH: Amos Press, 1995.
- Breen, Walter H., Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U. S. and Colonial Coins, New York: Doubleday, 1987.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Yeoman, R. S., and Kenneth Bressett (ed.), A Guide Book of United States Coins, 65th Ed., Atlanta, GA: Whitman Publishing, 2011.
- [1]Album, Stephen, Joseph Lang, Paul Montz, Michael Barry and Norman Douglas Nicol, Auction 39, featuring the John Sylvester, Jr., Collection of Annamese Medals and Orders, Santa Rosa, CA: Stephen Album Rare Coins, Inc., 2020.
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