The United States has issued several different coins worth five cents since the 1790s. At first made of silver, American five-cent coins were changed to copper and nickel in the 1860s. To distinguish the two types, the silver coins are called half dimes and the copper-nickel coins are called nickels.
Among the very first half dimes were the silver flowing hair coins of 1792; these were followed by the draped bust Liberty half dimes from 1796 to 1805, at which point half dimes were temporarily discontinued. Half dimes were reintroduced in 1829, with a new capped bust design showing Liberty wearing a hat. Liberty was seated on new coins from 1837 until 1873; the seated Liberty would be the last silver half dime used regularly in the United States.
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In 1866, following the turbulent Civil War and assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the United States decided to switch to a new type of five-cent coin, and the shield nickels became the first modern nickels. Shield nickels were followed by the Liberty head nickels, also known as “V” nickels after the Roman numeral on the reverse.
In 1913, in an effort to modernize (and Americanize) its coins, the U.S. mint began to use a nickel featuring a large Native American head on the obverse and an American bison on its reverse; these so-called buffalo nickels were not especially popular with the public but have become very popular and well-liked among coin collectors in recent decades.
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The buffalo nickels were scrapped in favor of nickels honoring founding father Thomas Jefferson in 1938, and these have lasted until the present day, though there have been special editions and significant redesigns to both sides of the Jefferson nickel since their birth.
There are countless special sales of all types of five-cent coins from American history at any given time in the coin marketplace. Sales listings generally include many different eras and conditions and types of half dimes and nickels from several vendors and numerous sellers.
