Numismatic

1911 Liberty Head V Nickel BU

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The 1911 Liberty Head nickel represents the penultimate year of one of America's most recognizable early twentieth-century coin designs. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint, this five-cent piece contains no precious metal, instead composed of the durable base metal alloy that defined the nation's minor coinage of the era. This particular specimen survives in Brilliant Uncirculated condition, offering a remarkably clear look at the artistry of the period. On the obverse, Charles Barber's design features a classical profile of Liberty facing left. She wears a coronet inscribed with her name, while her hair is pulled back in an elegant fashion, surrounded by thirteen stars representing the original colonies. The year 1911 is boldly struck at the bottom of the design. The reverse is dominated by a large Roman numeral V, the traditional symbol for five, which sits at the center of the design. This central element is encircled by a decorative wreath of wheat, cotton, and corn. Arching above the wreath is the national motto, E Pluribus Unum, while the issuing country, United States of America, and the denomination, Cents, frame the entire composition.