Liberty Head 1913 nickel sells for $2.3m

A US nickel dubbed the "Mona Lisa of rare coins" has sold at auction for $2.3 million.

Published: 6:19PM GMT 08 Jan 2010

A rare 1913-dated U.S. Liberty Head nickel Photo: AP

Tens of millions of the Liberty Head coins were made between 1883 and 1912 but the design changed to depict an American Indian in 1913.

However, five nickels with the old design were secretly were made at the Philadelphia Mint that year and eventually sold to collectors.

The coin became famous when it was featured in an episode of Hawaii Five-O entitled The $100,000 Nickel in 1973.

It has previously been owned by King Farouk of Egypt who was deposed in 1952 and Los Angeles Lakers owner, Dr Jerry Buss.

The names of the seller and the winning bidder at the sale in Orlando were not disclosed.