1885 Liberty Nickel

The 1885 Liberty Nickel has the second lowest mintage of the series, with 1,472,700 pieces struck for circulation. Although the 1912-S has a lower mintage, the 1885 is generally considered to be the key date of the Liberty Nickels series.

Examples of the coin are expensive across all grade levels, including well circulated pieces. The 1885 Liberty Nickel is especially rare in gem and higher grades, often bringing strong prices. Unlike the 1883 “without cents” and to an extent the 1912-S, this issue was not set aside and thus circulated freely.

The 1885 Proof Liberty Nickel also carries a premium above other proof years even though the mintage was relatively high. The reason is that some people will obtain a proof coin, as an affordable alternative to a mint state circulation strike for their collections. This keeps demand higher for this proof issue, as compared to other years.