Shield Nickels

The nickel as it came to be known today, began with the Shield Nickel series. This represented the first five cent piece which were struck in an alloy of copper and nickel, as opposed to the half dime, which was struck in 90% silver. The specifications of 75% copper and 25% nickel with a weight of 5 grams were authorized in 1866 and production began in the same year. After 1873, no further half dimes would be struck and the nickel would be the only five cent denomination produced.

As the name suggests, the obverse design of the Shield Nickel displays a shield, with a an arrangement of horizontal lines on top and vertical lines on the bottom. A large cross appears atop, with two arrows visible underneath. The obverse inscriptions read "In God We Trust" and the date. The reverse of the coin carries a large numeral "5" in the center of 13 stars. The inscriptions read "United States of America", and "Cents". The coin was designed by James B. Longacre.

The Shield Nickel was a relatively short series, which spanned 1866 to 1883 with one alteration to the design which took place during 1867. The 1867 Shield Nickel has some coins struck with rays, as the original design from 1866, and others struck without rays, which would become the design for the remainder of the series.

The series contains some very scarce issues from 1877 to 1881. During this period, production for circulation was limited or nonexistant. The lowest mintage circulating coin was the 1880 Shield Nickel with only 16,000 produced. This coin is extremely rare and the clear key date of a circulation set. For the years 1877 to 1878, only proof coins were produced, adding an allure to these dates.

Coin Specifications

Dates: 1866 - 1883
Mint: Philadelphia
Composition: 75% copper, 25% nickel
Diameter: 20.5 mm
Weight: 5.0 grams

More Information: Shield Nickel mintage