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1885 V nickel found in my grandfather’s pocket change !

maymay Posts: 1,637 ✭✭✭✭✭

Very excited as I type this, but today I was looking through a little box of misc 19th century coins I had from my grandfather. And while sorting them, I came across one that had a partially nic a dated date that read 1885. What!!!!! :o:o:o What sucks most is when I nic a dated the dateless ones a few years back, I must have missed it. Oh well.

She’s not very purty but an amazing late birthday present nonetheless!

Type collector, mainly into Seated. -formerly Ownerofawheatiehorde. Good BST transactions with: mirabela, OKCC, MICHAELDIXON, Gerard

Comments

  • CRHer700CRHer700 Posts: 2,142 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Wow, that's pretty cool. I found an '84 and an '87 in circulation, but never an '85 or '86. Great find.

    God bless all who believe in him. Do unto others what you expect to be done to you. Dubbed a "Committee Secret Agent" by @mr1931S on 7/23/24. Founding member of CU Anti-Troll League since 9/24/24.

  • 291fifth291fifth Posts: 24,919 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Just think of how many times that coin must have been spent!

    All glory is fleeting.
  • LanLordLanLord Posts: 11,744 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 5, 2026 8:40AM

    AP negative 1

    Almost Poor!

    That might be the most worn readable date I have seen! Well done.

  • softparadesoftparade Posts: 9,618 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Slick ain't the word. That's nearly a planchet again.

    COPPER is gutter !

  • Walkerguy21DWalkerguy21D Posts: 11,892 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @LanLord said:
    AP negative 1

    Almost Poor!

    That might be the most worn readable date I have seen! Well done.

    With help from Nic-a-Date….

    Still as the series key, it probably has significant value, even with the “help”. Pretty cool find.

    Successful BST transactions with 173 members. onlyroosies, Manorcourtman, guitarwes, Ebeneezer, Tonedeaf, Shane6596, Piano1, Ikenefic, RG, PCGSPhoto, stman, Don'tTelltheWife, Boosibri, Ron1968, snowequities, VTchaser, jrt103, SurfinxHI, 78saen, bp777, FHC, RYK, JTHawaii, Opportunity, Kliao, bigtime36, skanderbeg, split37, thebigeng, acloco, Toninginthblood, OKCC, braddick, Coinflip, robcool, fastfreddie, tightbudget, DBSTrader2, nickelsciolist, relaxn, Eagle eye, soldi, silverman68, ElKevvo, sawyerjosh, Schmitz7, talkingwalnut2, konsole, sharkman987, sniocsu, comma, jesbroken, David1234, biosolar, Sullykerry, Moldnut, erwindoc, MichaelDixon, GotTheBug
  • TypekatTypekat Posts: 604 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Very cool! I’ve never seen a Nickodated V 5c key date!

    30+ years coin shop experience (ret.) Coins, bullion, currency, scrap & interesting folks. Loved every minute!

  • LukeMarshallLukeMarshall Posts: 2,130 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Any Chance this could have been identified without the acid treatment?

    It's all about what the people want...

  • logger7logger7 Posts: 9,359 ✭✭✭✭✭

    How would it not be a "P1" by the definition?

    AI Overview

    A PCGS Liberty Nickel in "Poor" grade (PO-1) means it's heavily worn, barely identifiable but still recognizable as a Liberty Nickel, with outlines of design elements visible, but numerals often needing magnification to read; these low-grade examples, while common for many dates, can still be sold for a small premium over face value, especially in "lowball" collections, but their value is minimal compared to higher-grade or rare varieties.
    Characteristics of a Poor (PO-1) Liberty Nickel
    Wear: Extremely worn, with most details flattened.
    Identification: The overall design type (Liberty Head) is discernible, but features like the date or lettering are very faint.
    Rarity: While a specific date's PO-1 might exist, this grade is common for circulated Liberty Nickels, meaning many exist.
    Value: Generally low, often just a few dollars above face value, though some collectors seek them for "lowball" sets or as inexpensive type coins.
    Example Values
    A common date like a 1900 Liberty Nickel in PO-1 might sell for around $20-$30, while a scarce date in this grade would command more.
    A 1912-S Liberty Nickel in poor condition might sell for about $70, illustrating that even low grades have some value, notes this Facebook post.
    What to Do With One
    For Beginners: Good for starting a collection or filling gaps in a type set affordably.
    For Advanced Collectors: Useful for specialized collections, like "lowball" sets.
    For Resale: Expect low returns; list it as a "lowball" or "type coin" for bargain hunters.

  • maymay Posts: 1,637 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @LukeMarshall said:
    Any Chance this could have been identified without the acid treatment?

    Unfortunately, no. I am very careful with nic a date in case something like this ever comes up. I usually only do a tiny dot on the last two digits, which I did here and probably thought it was an 1888. Sad but it happens. At least I caught my mistake.!

    Type collector, mainly into Seated. -formerly Ownerofawheatiehorde. Good BST transactions with: mirabela, OKCC, MICHAELDIXON, Gerard

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