Liberty Head or V Nickel
We found this nickel on a path to an old beach, only one inch deep. It's
always exciting when you find old coins. Now we have found 5 V nickels.
They say the best
place to find old coins in on hard packed paths. Normally they're not very deep,
but a little harder to dig out.
History: In 1883 the type was
changed to the familiar Liberty head. This type appeared without the word CENTS
on the coin, merely a large letter V.
These
centless coins were coldplated and passed for five dollars. Later in that
year the word CENTS was added. Five 1913 Liberty head nickels were originally
owned by Col. E.H.R. Green.
These have since been dispersed and are now held in individuals' collections. These were not a regular issue and were never placed in circulation. The designer was Charles E. Barber. V nickels were made from 1883 to 1913. The most valuable is a 1885 in EF40. V nickels weigh 5 grams and have a composition of an alloy of 75% copper and 25% nickel.
Recommended book:
Handbook
of United States Coins 2004: The Official "Blue Book" by R. S. Yeoman