1912-S Liberty Head "V" Nickel
Circulation strike struck at the San Francisco Mint · 238,000 made
- Mintage
- 238,000
- 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-S Liberty Head "V" Nickel worth?
It's scarcer than a typical date, so even circulated examples sell above face. The best uncirculated coins are where the money is.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
- Certification by PCGS or NGC, which buyers expect for scarce dates
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1912-S Liberty Head "V" Nickel rare?
- Yes. Only 238,000 were made, 2nd lowest of the 34 regular issues in the series.
- Is the 1912-S 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 S, for San Francisco.
- How many 1912-S Liberty Head "V" Nickel coins were made?
- 238,000.
What to check on your 1912-S
- Make sure the mint mark really is an S. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1912-D (8.5 million made).
- Check the date and mint mark under magnification for tooling or added letters. Scarce dates are the ones forgers alter.
- 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.
Low-mintage dates attract altered and counterfeit coins. Check that the mint mark and date have not been tooled or added, or buy one already certified by PCGS or NGC.
The story of the 1912-S
This was the first time San Francisco made the Liberty Head "V" Nickel for circulation: 238,000 coins. It turned out to be San Francisco's last Liberty Head "V" Nickel for circulation.
The other mints made far more that year: 1912 alone came to 26 million, roughly 110 for every 1912-S. If you're checking a pile of 1912 coins, the S is the one to look for. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1885 (1,476,490) and the 1886 (3,330,290).
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 | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 238,000 |
| 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.