FREE: 1883 UNITED STATES LIBERTY V NICKEL, GOLD? RACKETTEER, HOLED

The listing, 1883 UNITED STATES LIBERTY V NICKEL, GOLD? RACKETTEER, HOLED has ended.

1883 LIBERTY NICKEL, 1ST YEAR OF THIS COIN IT DOENT HAVE CENTS ON IT, MISTAKE MADE WHEN THEY DID THIS COIN, AS PEOPLE GOLD PLATED THEM AND PAST THEM OFF AS A $5 GOLD PIECE BACK THEN, KNOWN AS RACKETTEER NICKEL IT DOES HAVE A HOLE, IF NOTHING ELSE MAKE A NECKLESS OUT OF IT,

IF YOU LOOK CLOSE AT THIS COIN YOU CAN SEE TRACES OF GOLD ON IT,

The most famous criminal case about altered 5 cent coins involved a deaf mute named Josh Tatum. He would go to cigar stands and purchase a 5c cigar and pay with a gold plated, hand reeded nickel. The attendant would assume that it was a $5 gold piece and give Josh $4.95 change. He was acquitted since he never said that the coin was $5, he couldn't. The Mint learned its lesson and later that year put the word "cents" at the bottom of the reverse.

Some of these "Racketeer" nickels survive today and are interesting to collectors. Over the last century, there are many nickels that have been gilt and passed off as the "real" thing so beware of "copies". Its not easy to ascertain whether you have a "genuine" racketeer nickel as they are all altered coins tampered with outside the Mint. Generally, the ones used in 1883 have some or all of the gilt rubbed off and have a very carefully reeded edge.

THIS COIN IS WELL WORN SO IT LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT IT COULD BE ONE, THAT IS MY OPINION, SO YOU MAKE THE CALL