A 1913 Liberty Nickel certified by Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) — known as the Hawaii Five-O coin — has realized over $4 million in a private sale, one of the highest prices ever paid for a coin. The private sale conducted by Stack’s Bowers was the 14th time that an NGC-certified coin realized over $1 million this year alone.
Only five examples of the 1913 Liberty Nickel exist, none of which were officially authorized. Their origins remain shrouded in mystery, but there is no doubt that they stand at the pinnacle of numismatics today. At one point, "Colonel" E.H.R. Green acquired all five, but two are now enshrined in museum collections.
This example is graded NGC PF 64+ and displays "The Hawaii Five-O Coin" pedigree. That police procedural featured the ultra-rarity in a 1973 episode titled "The $100,000 Nickel," which helped increase the public’s appreciation for coin collecting. NGC certified the famous nickel in 2004.
"None of the 51 million coins certified by NGC has captured the public interest quite like this one," said Mark Salzberg, NGC Chairman. "NGC is proud of its long history of certifying exceptional numismatic rarities like this."
The coin was displayed by Stack’s Bowers at the Long Beach Expo in October 2021. The auction house announced the sale on November 8.
The numismatic world has seen seven-digit coin sales occur at a frenzied pace this year. In January, an NGC-certified 1787 Brasher Doubloon realized $9.36 million, an auction record for any gold coin at the time. In October, an NGC-certified Great Britain 1937 Edward VIII Gold Pattern 5 Sovereign realized over $2.4 million, a record for any English coin sold at auction.
To see the complete list of NGC-certified coins that have realized prices over $1 million this year, click here.
About Numismatic Guaranty Company™ (NGC®)
NGC is the world’s largest and most trusted third-party grading service for coins, tokens and medals, with more than 51 million collectibles certified. Founded in 1987, NGC provides an accurate, consistent and impartial assessment of authenticity and grade. Every coin that NGC certifies is backed by the comprehensive NGC Guarantee of authenticity and grade, which gives buyers greater confidence. This results in higher prices realized and greater liquidity for NGC-certified coins. To learn more, visit NGCcoin.com.
