1912-D Liberty Head "V" Nickel
Circulation strike struck at the Denver Mint · 8,474,000 made
- Mintage
- 8,474,000
- Metal
- 75% copper, 25% nickel
- Weight
- 5 g
- Diameter
- 21.2 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 1912-D Liberty Head "V" Nickel worth?
Age alone gives this coin a small premium, even worn. Sharp details and original surfaces push it higher.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1912-D Liberty Head "V" Nickel rare?
- No. 8.5 million were made, a typical run for the series. Condition and varieties decide its value, not the date.
- Is the 1912-D Liberty Head "V" Nickel silver?
- No. It's 75% copper, 25% nickel. The only silver nickels are the 1942 to 1945 wartime coins with a large mint mark above Monticello.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1912 Liberty Head "V" Nickel?
- On the reverse, to the left of CENTS. Only 1912-D and 1912-S have mint marks. On this coin the mark is D, for Denver.
- How many 1912-D Liberty Head "V" Nickel coins were made?
- 8,474,000.
What to check on your 1912-D
- Make sure the mint mark really is a D. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1912-S (238,000 made).
- Judge the grade under good light. Look at LIBERTY on the coronet, the hair curls and the corn ears in the wreath. Full LIBERTY is a key threshold for Fine and better.
The story of the 1912-D
This was the first time Denver made the Liberty Head "V" Nickel for circulation: 8,474,000 coins. It turned out to be Denver's last Liberty Head "V" Nickel for circulation.
1912-S came to 238,000 and 1912 came to 26 million, so neither mint's 1912 coin is much scarcer than the other.
More on the 1912-D
Denver had been striking coins since 1906 and had made its first cents in 1911, but it waited until 1912 to strike a nickel. That year it made 8,474,000 Liberty Head nickels, the only Denver coins of this design. Philadelphia struck 26,236,714 that year and San Francisco just 238,000, so the D sits in the middle.
The 1912-D is common in worn grades and scarcer in high uncirculated condition, where coins with full detail on the coronet and the hair curls are in demand. Check the small D to the left of CENTS under magnification and make sure it's sharp and properly placed, since added mint marks are a known problem with the scarcer 1912-S and it costs nothing to rule one out. On the obverse, look at Liberty's cheek and the stars for wear. Pay attention to the letters of LIBERTY on the coronet, which fade early. A worn 1912-D carries a small premium; an uncirculated example with good luster brings a collector premium well above a Philadelphia 1912.
Branch mint nickels and the five 1913 pieces (1912 to 1913)
In 1912 Denver and San Francisco struck nickels for the first time, with a small D or S mint mark to the left of CENTS on the reverse. Denver struck 8.5 million, but San Francisco made only 238,000, late in the year, making the 1912-S a key date. Philadelphia added another 26 million in 1912, so the P coin is common.
The Buffalo nickel replaced the Liberty Head in 1913. No Liberty Head nickels were officially struck that year. Five pieces dated 1913 surfaced in 1920 through Samuel Brown, a former Mint employee. They are among the most famous American rarities. Any other 1913 Liberty Head nickel is an alteration. The 1912-S is usually found in Very Good to Fine. Added mint marks on Philadelphia coins are a known fake.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1912
Denver and San Francisco struck nickels for the first time, the only branch-mint Liberty Head nickels. It was the last regular year of the design.
How to recognize it
Liberty faces left wearing a coronet inscribed LIBERTY, with 13 stars around her and the date below. The reverse has a large Roman numeral V inside a wreath with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and E PLURIBUS UNUM. The word CENTS was added below the wreath partway through 1883. Mint marks, used only on the 1912-D and 1912-S, are on the reverse to the left of CENTS.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Liberty Head "V" Nickel (1883–1913) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1912 |
| Mint | Denver Mint |
| Mint mark | "D" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 8,474,000 |
| Face value | 5¢ |
| Composition | 75% copper, 25% nickel |
| Weight | 5 grams |
| Diameter | 21.2 mm |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | Charles E. Barber |
Other 1912 Liberty Head "V" Nickel issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1912 Liberty Head "V" Nickel | 26,236,714 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1912-D Liberty Head "V" Nickel | 8,474,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1912-S Liberty Head "V" Nickel | 238,000 | Circulation strike | – |
Mintage: United States nickel mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.