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Shield Nickel Variety

OK. It's been a long time since I did Shield varieties and I know the specialty has progressed quite a bit over the last decade. Can anyone attribute this one for me? Any ideas on the rarity? The breakis quite impressive. The reverse has some things too, but the variety should be attributable from the obverse.

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Thanks!
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Comments

  • RichieURichRichieURich Posts: 8,553 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I suggest sending a PM to Howards or IGWT. Both are Shield nickel experts.

    An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.

  • CoxeCoxe Posts: 11,139
    Sent PMs.

    Here are a few more images, some from the microscope.

    imageimage
    imageimage
    imageimage
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  • howardshowards Posts: 1,241 ✭✭✭
    John, got your PM - thought it would be more useful to reply in the forum.

    Nobody has undertaken the monumental task of cataloguing shield nickels by die breaks. There are some cuds listed in Sam Thurman's cud book and reproduced in Ed Fletcher's shield nickel book.

    Shield nickel varieties are so diverse that the focus has been on getting the doubled dies and repunched dates catalogued (along with some other weirdos). Especially for the early years (like 1868) it can be hard to find a shield nickel WITHOUT die cracks.

    It does appear to me that you have an 1868 with the reverse of '68 with 4 broken letters, which is FS-002.97 in Cherrypickers' Guide.

    If you are getting into shield nickels, feel free to check out the Yahoo Shield Nickels group (I'm a moderator) and/or my website at:

    ShieldNickels.Net

    On my website you can read about SNV (Shield Nickel Viewer), which is my attempt to work further on the problem of cataloguing shield nickel varieties. Feel free to ask any more questions if you wish.
  • CoxeCoxe Posts: 11,139
    Thanks! I had forgotten to mention or show the broken bottom of the S of CENTS too, for anyone else who's interested.

    I used to do this series for varieties and the DDO (and TDO!) and RPDs were outstanding. These and the 2c are very rich in varieties. I think the Shield nickel has so much that is should eventually be exhaustively catalogued by dies and by states. I am familiar with Fletcher's book. I used that and Breen back when I did these before, and Peters-Mahon when I sold. Had forgotten about the new edition of the CPG. I should go get one.
    Select Rarities -- DMPLs and VAMs
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    ANA - Pay As I Go Member
  • HighReliefHighRelief Posts: 3,720 ✭✭✭✭✭
    The Shield Nickel would seem like a fun set to collect with the many varieties it contains.

    Putting together a set in MS63 could be done for less than $15,000.00 with the only show stopper being the 1880.

    It almost seems that this could be a sleeper series in retrospect.
  • CoxeCoxe Posts: 11,139
    It suffers from a boring design, along with the two and three cent coins. A date set is easily done for reasonable money but hasn't shown a lot of potential for any of those series. However, the varieties are a lot of fun and cherrypicking affordable since many of the best varieties are not found in high grades, at least not often.
    Select Rarities -- DMPLs and VAMs
    NSDR - Life Member
    SSDC - Life Member
    ANA - Pay As I Go Member
  • howardshowards Posts: 1,241 ✭✭✭
    Well, I'm trying to catalogue shield nickels. There's a lot of them. :-)

    The latest CPG doesn't cover nickels at all.

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