It Was Only A Nickel, But The Owner Was Able To ...

It was only a nickel, but the owner was able to retire on it. It is one of only five nickels like it, and Ed Lee of Merrimack, New Hampshire, sold the nickel for $4.15 million dollars. It is the second-highest price ever reported paid for a rare coin. Speaking for the coin dealership which bought the nickel, Laura Sperber called the 1913 Liberty Head the most famous of American rare coins. “Owning a 1913 Liberty Head nickel is unlike owning any other coin in the world,” she said. The AP story reported: “Liberty Head nickels were minted from 1883 to 1912. ‘Miss Liberty’ was replaced the following year by the Indian, or Buffalo, nickel. But five 1913 nickels depicting ‘Miss Liberty’ were minted illegally, possibly by a mint official. They were never put into circulation and were considered illegal to own for many years because they were not regular issue. The coins surfaced in the 1920s.” Ed Lee bought the coin two years ago for three million dollars, so he made over a million dollars on his investment.

Not bad. Ed Lee was very smart. He knew a valuable coin when he saw it, and he knew the importance of making a good investment. It is a modern story very much like the parable Jesus told about the pearl merchant who found a rare pearl that was very valuable. He said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:45-46).