The coin is one of only five in existence.
“It is difficult to comprehend that all three 1913 nickels in private hands have found new homes in the past 12 months, and I do not believe any of the three will be on the market again in the near future,” Ian Russell, president of GreatCollections, said in a statement. “It could be decades before we see one again.”The coins come with quite a backstory, too. In 1912, the US Mint replaced the Liberty Head nickel with the Indian Head nickel .
This particular coin, which has been authenticated and graded by the Professional Coin Grading Service, was once owned by noted North Carolina numismatist George O. Walton. It cycled through the hands of just a few other collectors before it ended up with the Firman family in 2018. “Our family thoroughly enjoyed owning the Walton nickel for the past four years and it was fulfilling for us to have it on display at the American Numismatic Association Money Museum in Colorado and exhibits across the country during this time,” Ron Firman said in a statement.