Genuine United States Mint: 1883 Racketeer Gold Plated Liberty Nickel

Genuine United States Mint: 1883 Racketeer Gold Plated Liberty Nickel (60822) This offer includes the history of this coinage; Certificate of Authenticity and a rare 1883 Racketeer gold plated Liberty V Nickel. Please supersize for details. The Liberty Head Nickel started a minor crime wave when it was introduced in 1883. It also made our language a little more colorful. Nowhere did the coin say the denomination was 5 CENTS. Because the size and design of the coin were very similar to the $5 gold piece of the time, some enterprising persons gold plated the nickels and easily passed them for $5 gold pieces. These gold plated nickels are known as "Racketeer Nickels". The most famous of the con artists was Josh Tatum. He would walk into a store and buy a 5-cent item with 24K gold plated nickel. If the clerk noticed that it was a nickel, Tatum simply left with the purchase. Usually he left with $4.95 in change. Josh Tatum inspired the phrase, "I was jus joshing" Specifications: Designer: Charles E. Barber Years Issued: 1883 Where Minted: Philadelphia Diameter: 21.2mm; Weight: 5grams; Composition: 24K Gold layered over .750copper .250 Nickel