1883 Liberty Head Nickel. With CENTS. Proof-67+ (PCGS). CAC.

Enchanting iridescent toning in multiple pastel shades drifts across serene surfaces. A full strike and appreciably mirrored fields further enhance this coin's extraordinary eye appeal. The With CENTS variant of the Proof 1883 Liberty nickel is rarer than an accepted mintage of 6,783 pieces might imply, so much so that some numismatic scholars have questioned the validity of that figure. Q. David Bowers, for one, puts forth a figure of 2,783 coins as more reasonable based on market appearances and, by extension, the number of specimens believed extant. Writing in the 2006 reference A Guide Book of Shield and Liberty Head Nickels, the author believes that many of the Proofs supposedly delivered under the With CENTS banner were actually of the No CENTS design. The former type, produced only in 1883, would probably have been of greater interest to contemporary collectors. If true, and we see no reason to doubt this assertion, then the Mint would have struck more Proofs of the No CENTS type than its With CENTS counterpart to meet contemporary demand. To round out this theory, Bowers believes that the actual mintage of the Proof No CENTS is closer to 9,219 coins than the 5,219-piece mintage published in most numismatic references. Regardless of the exact number of coins struck, the Proof 1883 With CENTS is rarer than its No CENTS counterpart in numismatic circles. This is a superior quality example of an underrated issue that is among the finest seen by both PCGS and CAC.

PCGS# 3881. NGC ID: 277S.

PCGS Population: 3; with a single Proof-68 finer in this category. CAC Population: 3; 0. The former total includes coins graded both Proof-67 and Proof-67+, and by both PCGS and NGC.

Estimate: $ 2750