2 Coin- Set 1883 Racketeer Nickel “No V” (Wooden Box Set)

2 Coin- Set 1883 Racketeer Nickel Both EF condition

1 the famous 1883 Racketeer Nickel (Gold plated, No Cent Liberty “V” Nickels) and 1 of the original 1883 No Cent Liberty “V” Nickels, Both in Extra Fine condition

*** The 1883 "No CENTS" Liberty Head V Nickel is one of the most famous and scandalous coins in American history, giving rise to the legendary "Racketeer Nickel." Con artists gold-plated the new 1883. In 1883, the U.S. Mint released a new nickel: The obverse featured Lady Liberty, while the reverse proudly displayed a large Roman numeral "V" (5) inside a wreath. The Mint completely forgot to include the word "CENTS". Because the new coin lacked denomination and was almost the exact same diameter as the $5 gold Half Eagle. Con artists began gold-plating the nickels and passing them off to unsuspecting merchants as genuine $5 gold coins. "Just Joshing You": Legend is Josh Tatum was a mastermind of this scam. He would walk into a shop, request a 5-cent cigar, and hand over the gold-plated nickel. Because he couldn't speak, he never claimed it was a $5 coin—he just accepted the $4.95 in change. When caught, he was allegedly acquitted because he never verbally lied about the coin's value, sparking the phrase "just joshing you." To stop the widespread fraud, the U.S. Mint halted production in mid-1883 and quickly moved the motto "E PLURIBUS UNUM" and added "CENTS" at the bottom of the reverse. He wasn’t the only one that did this. 1883 newspapers reported "racketeer nickel" arrests. The Weekly Public Ledger reported Secret Service concerns, and reports from March 1883 noted real fraudsters like M. McCord in Louisiana and Arthur Seagars in Missouri being arrested for passing gilded nickels ***

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