Thought these articles were interesting. http://coins.about.com/b/2009/07/28/the-most-hyped-coin-in-history.htm a sixth coin? http://coins.about.com/od/famousrarecoinprofiles/a/1913_Nickel_2.htm
There is no sixth coin and the articles has errors in it. For one thing the case does not have six holes in it, it has eight. It was made up for Col Green and held the five 1913 V nickels, one pattern Buffalo, and off metal buffalo, and a regualr issue buffalo. These coins were still in it when it was purchsed by Eric Newman who still owns the case. The pedigree information that seems to show six coins is due to faulty information which can happen because it is hard to trace the coins when they are sold privately rather than at public auction. Records will often show two people owning a coin when it is actually the same coin because private sales that moved to coin from one to the other are unknown. Walton was "known" to have owned a 1913 V nickel i the late 50's early sixties and he often displayed it at shows in the south. But he also had a altered date piece and sometimes displayed that one. After the fatal accident a 1913 was recovered from the scene and it was that coin, not one the family found at home, that was taken to Stacks an declared to be an altered date. The family then took it home. The Walton family was invited to bring the altered 1913 to the 2003 ANA to be part of the display and story of the history of the 1913 V nickel. When they arrived though the 1913 they brought was the real one. Unfortunately there is no way of knowing if the coin recovered from the accident and the coin brought to the 2003 ANA are the same coin.
Thanks for the clarifications Conder. I remember some details of the story from when Legend had one of these but even then somethings were not clear to me.
Eric still owns the copper Buffalo (as well as the case), a piece he prizes more than the 1913 Liberty nickels.
