1913 nickel worth millions? Humble coin on the auction block.

The design is unique because the US officially switched to the Buffalo Head nickel that year, but a U.S. Mint worker is suspected of making a handful of the old design with the new year.

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Courtesy of Heritage Auctions/AP
This image provided by Heritage Auctions shows an authentic 1913 Liberty Head nickel that was hidden in a Virginia closet for 41 years after its owners were mistakenly told it was a fake. The nickel is one of only five known and expected to sell for $2.5 million or more in an auction conducted by Heritage Auctions in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, Ill., on April 25, 2013.

A humble nickel from 1913 could be worth millions when it goes up for auction this spring.

The 1913 Liberty Head nickel is one of only five known to exist. Some expect it to sell for $2.5 million or more.

The design is unique because the U.S. officially switched to the Buffalo Head nickel that year, but a U.S. Mint worker is suspected of making a handful of the old design with the new year.

But it's also the coin's rich backstory that could boost its value. It was made illegally and later found in a car wreck that killed its owner. Then it was declared a fake and forgotten in a closet for decades before being rediscovered.

Four Virginia siblings will split the proceeds from the April 25 auction.

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