When coin collectors read the headline above about million dollar nickels, their mind almost certainly turns to the five famous 1913 Liberty Head Nickels, each one of which is worth millions of dollars apiece. However, today I'm not just talking about million dollar nickels, but Million Dollar Nickels, an engaging book about the five 1913's and the remarkable stories behind them. While many folks today enjoy searching through their pocket change for rare coins, the ultimate pocket change treasure hunt took place during the Depression Era, when millions of ordinary people checked the date on every nickel they received in change, hoping to find an elusive 1913 Liberty Head specimen so they could sell it for a princely $50 to coin dealer B. Max Mehl, easily one of the greatest coin-related marketing geniuses of all times.

It might be hard for people today to imagine the depth of psychological involvement Depression Era Americans had with this popular hunt for the 1913 Liberty Nickels. Most of us grew up with the coins already being legendary, even if most of us didn't fully understand the reasons why. This is where Million Dollar Nickels shines the brightest; it takes us back through the history of these five famous coins and lets us look over the shoulder of the actual participants in some of the key dramas associated with the 1913's. The primary reason the book seems to have been written is to tell the story of the Walton Specimen, which was rediscovered after a four-decades-long disappearance, and how it was reunited with the other four 1913 Liberty Nickels 60 years after they were originally split up and sold to individual buyers. Along the way to this eventuality, we hear about illicit use of U.S. Mint equipment, and ownership of the various specimens by royalty and statesmen.

Million Dollar Nickels was researched like a scholarly dissertation but reads like a novel. It sets the record straight about some of the myths and legends surrounding the 1913 Liberty Nickels, and where conclusions can't be drawn, it gives us the facts so we can decide for ourselves. But most of all, it is a keen page-turner that will keep any coin collecting enthusiast captivated to the last page. Check out my full review of Million Dollar Nickels which includes a link to where you can buy it below cover price.

Photo of the book's cover by Susan Headley.