Rare Liberty Head Nickel Fetches More Than $4.5 million at Philadelphia Coin Auction

What to Know

The Eliasberg 1913 Liberty Head Nickel is 1 of only 5 ever struck.
Stack's Bowers Galleries sold the coin for $4.56 million during the American Numismatic Association's World's Fair of Money in Philly.
The buyer of the rare nickel wasn't disclosed.

A rare nickel has sold for $4.56 million at a Philadelphia auction.

Stack's Bowers Galleries sold the Eliasberg 1913 Liberty Head nickel Wednesday night during the American Numismatic Association's World's Fair of Money at the Philadelphia Convention Center.

It is named for financier Louis E. Eliasberg, who bought the coin in 1948 and amassed one of the greatest coin collections in U.S. history. The Eliasberg 1913 Liberty Head nickel is one of only five ever produced and is considered the finest-graded example of its kind. Here is more on its history.

The Eliasberg 1913 Liberty Head Nickel, the finest struck of five 1913 liberty head nickels, shown front and back, sold for more than $4.5 million at auction. See Larger

Stack's Bowers Galleries president Brian Kendrella says the new owner "now possesses one of the rarest, most valuable United States coins" and one of only three examples in private hands.

The buyer's name was not disclosed.