FLOAT
1913 Liberty Head nickel, obverse and reverse — the Smithsonian National Numismatic Collection's example, not the Walton specimen the FLOAT constituent is priced on. One of only five known.
National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History

1913 Liberty Head Nickel (Walton specimen)

Maker
U.S. Mint (Philadelphia, clandestine)
Year
1913
Rank
64 of 100

1913 Liberty Head Nickel (Walton specimen)

1913 Liberty Head Nickel (Walton specimen) by U.S. Mint (Philadelphia, clandestine) (1913) is ranked 64 in the FLOAT 100 for Coins. It sold for $3,172,500 on 25 April 2013. The famous George Walton 1913 nickel — thought lost for decades, rediscovered in a closet, and authenticated; pure numismatic lore.

What is it, and why is it in the FLOAT 100?

The famous George Walton 1913 nickel — thought lost for decades, rediscovered in a closet, and authenticated; pure numismatic lore.

5c Liberty Head nickel, NGC PR (Walton specimen, the once-lost-then-rediscovered example)

What is the best-sourced number for it?

Figure
$3,172,500
Kind
Realized at auction
Date
25 April 2013

Heritage Auctions, April 25 2013. The Walton specimen 1913 Liberty Head nickel — long believed lost, then rediscovered — realized $3,172,500. One of only five known.

This is a realized sale. Somebody paid it. Source.

How this is made

The figure
One reference price, taken from a named public source and shown with its own kind. FLOAT does not average it with anything or adjust it for time.
Realized or not
A realized price is a completed sale. A market asking price and a price-guide value are not sales, and are labeled as such wherever they appear.
Why no grade ladder
Most FLOAT 100 entries are individual objects. There is one of this, so there is no population and no spread across grades to show.
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2026-08-08