I apologize if this is in the wrong section. I am a fairly novice Us Currency collector including coins. I recently was handed down my grandfathers, Great Grand fathers Coin collection. There are alot of neat really old coins. As I was sorting through them and encasing them in protective sleeves I would occasionally look the ones i didn't know much about on the internet. I came across the Nickel Below. After some pretty lengthy search through google I can't seem to find something like it. I'm wondering if I have a rare coin or something of the sort. To be more specific I'm wondering about the Big P on the face of the coin. I am familliar that Mints put their mark on Coin but i didn't think it was this big. I have never seen it this big. Thank for any help. I'll share my Collection Once i get some pics.
Ok, thats a V Nickel or Liberty Head Nickel. And that P was not put on the coin by the mint. It is not a mint mark, that is something that someone stamped on the coin after it left the mint.
What you have is a 1905 Liberty nickel (aka 'V' nickel). This is a common coin. The 'P' on the obverse is a counterstamp, not a mintmark. For various reasons people occasionally stamped letters, words, names, numbers, dates, etc. into coins. This defaces the coin, however some people collect counterstamped coins.
I'm sorry to say....That P is commonly known as a "counterstamp" it was done after it left the mint. Unfortunately it probably detracts from the coin's value. That doesn't make it any less valuable to you as a remembrance of your great grandfather, though. Take care...Mike
