1866 Repunched Date WRPD-001

Description

Extensively cross-referenced across five major attribution systems — Cherrypickers' Guide FS-05-1866-302, Fletcher F-10, Spindel S1-3001, Peters and Mohon PM-01.2, and Wexler Variety ID 1866 5¢ WRPD-001 — this Shield Nickel repunched date variety holds the primary WRPD catalog position for the 1866 date, indicating it is the most significant or earliest-documented repunched date for the first year of Shield Nickel production. The breadth of cross-references spanning five independent attribution authorities reflects this variety's prominence within the Shield Nickel specialty, where the 1866 date carries special significance as the inaugural year of James B. Longacre's Shield design, which introduced the five-cent nickel denomination to replace the half dime. The Shield Nickel was struck in 75% copper and 25% nickel — the same composition still used for nickels today — weighing 5.0 grams with a diameter of 20.5 mm and a plain edge. As a first-year issue, the 1866 production at the Philadelphia Mint employed dies that were among the earliest manufactured for this new denomination, and the repunched date on WRPD-001 documents a positioning error during manual date punch application that was typical of mid-19th-century die preparation techniques. The Reconstruction era context of 1866 adds historical depth — this coin entered circulation as the nation grappled with post-Civil War recovery, and the nickel denomination itself was partly a response to the coin shortages that had plagued the wartime economy. With five cross-reference systems in agreement, this variety offers collectors an exceptionally well-documented target with multiple independent attribution pathways for verification.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Not noted Cross References: Cherrypickers: FS-05-1866-302, Fletcher: F-10, Spindel: S1-3001, Peters & Mohon: PM-01.2
• Cherrypickers: FS-05-1866-302, Fletcher: F-10, Spindel: S1-3001, Peters & Mohon: PM-01.2; Wexler Variety ID: 1866 5¢ WRPD-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References