1867 5C Rays, CAM PR(PCGS#83818)

The March 2013 Baltimore Auction

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

2018

等级

PR64

价格

219,982

详细说明

1867 Shield Nickel. Rays. Proof-64 Cameo (PCGS). A fully struck specimen with dark, deeply reflective fields and bright, brilliant devices. A few microscopic contact marks are found, just one or two on each side, and only with the aid of a magnifier. Any example of this issue in Proof is a great rarity. Today there are perhaps 60 of these known in various Proof grades with this one tied with a select group near the Gem level from that paltry number known. At the time this piece was coined, the small silver half dimes dominated this denomination. However, half dimes had not been seen in circulation since the spring of 1862. The desire to increase the amount of small change in circulation after the Civil War was critical, and the adoption of nickel and more copper for coinage soon increased the options for the government. The launch of the nickel three-cent piece of 1865 and the nickel five cent coin in 1866 sufficed to provide change for commerce. The first design of the  new five-cent coin depicted a shield on the obverse while the reverse stated 5 CENTS, with glory rays surrounding the large central 5. However, the Philadelphia Mint soon discovered that the planchets used to coin these were quite hard and tended to break and shatter coinage dies quickly. After the first full year of coinage of 1866, and starting into 1867 the Rays were determined to be part of this problem, and were removed from the reverse during 1867. However, the early Proofs of 1867 retained the rays, were made only in limited numbers, and today are famous. A prized rarity for the specialist.