Charles E. Barber's Liberty Head nickel began in 1883 without the word CENTS, was revised within the year, and later expanded beyond Philadelphia in 1912. Its final catalog record, dated 1913, belongs to a famous special-production story rather than normal circulation coinage.
This guide covers the 1883–1912 regular series and the separately contextualized five known 1913-dated pieces. Shield and Buffalo nickels have their own catalogs.
Core specifications
- Issue period
- 1883–1913
- Catalog mints
- 3
- Reported catalog mintage
- 602,086,412
- Composition
- 75% Copper - 25% Nickel
- Diameter
- 21.2 mm
- Weight
- 5 g
One omitted word reshapes a thirty-year design
Charles E. Barber replaced the Shield nickel with a Liberty portrait and a large Roman numeral V. The first 1883 reverse did not spell out CENTS, so a revised reverse added the denomination within the same year.
Philadelphia supplied the series until Denver and San Francisco joined for 1912. The five known 1913-dated pieces were not a regular circulation issue and require a provenance-led reading separate from ordinary date-and-mint collecting.
Obverse, reverse, and the details that identify the type
Confirm the major design, date, and mint mark before studying smaller die differences.
The main portrait and date
Liberty faces left wearing a coronet inscribed LIBERTY. Thirteen stars surround the portrait and the date appears below.
Denomination, subject, and mint mark
A large Roman numeral V sits inside a wreath. The first 1883 type lacks CENTS; the revised type places CENTS below the wreath. Mint marks on the 1912 branch issues sit near the lower reverse.
Where the cataloged coins were made
Totals are calculated from reported issue records in this catalog; unknown figures are not counted as zero.
- P — Philadelphia: 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913; 593,374,412. Philadelphia issues commonly carry no P mint mark in classic series; confirm the expected blank area rather than searching for a letter.
- D — Denver: 1912; 8,474,000. Confirm the D mint mark together with its expected year, position, and issue format.
- S — San Francisco: 1912; 238,000. Confirm the S mint mark together with its expected year, position, and issue format.
Representative issues that explain the series
Start with the two 1883 reverse types, then build a date set or pursue the 1885, 1886, and 1912-S landmarks. Treat 1913 as an advanced, independently authenticated specialty, not the final slot in an ordinary circulation album.
- 1883 P — 5,479,519. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
- 1883 P — 16,032,983. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
- 1885 P — 1,476,490. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
- 1886 P — 3,330,290. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
- 1912 S — 238,000. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
- 1913 P — 5. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
Issue catalog
From one type coin to a complete catalog
- One representative coin: Choose one problem-free, readable example and learn the size, edge, and major design.
- Major-type set: Use one coin per major design to show changes in artwork, composition, or production.
- Dates and mints: Work through the issue catalog by date and mint, defining special finishes separately.
A note on catalog records
This page uses 34 issue records, 0 modeled varieties, and currently reported mintages; unknown values remain unknown.
Sources
- Nickel: Designs and History — United States Mint
- Liberty Nickel category reference — PCGS CoinFacts