Numismatic

1888 Liberty Head V Nickel Fine

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In 1888, the United States Mint produced a five-cent piece that remains a classic example of late nineteenth-century American coinage. Struck in copper, this Liberty Head nickel represents a fascinating era of everyday currency, showing the honest wear of a coin graded in Fine condition. The obverse of the coin displays a left-facing portrait of Liberty. Designed by Charles Barber, she is depicted wearing a coronet-style headdress inscribed with the word LIBERTY, surrounded by thirteen stars representing the original colonies, with the year 1888 positioned at the bottom. On the reverse, the central focus is a large Roman numeral V, representing the five-cent denomination. This numeral is framed by a wreath, with the national motto E PLURIBUS UNUM positioned above it and the words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA wrapping around the border. This particular issue was struck at the Philadelphia Mint, which did not utilize a mint mark at the time.