1866 Proof Nickel Pattern - J-487

Coin Details

Auction Record

$14,400 PR63BN 09-17-2020 Heritage Auctions

Description

As the alloy testing series continues, J-487 provides another specimen for comparison in the Mint's evaluation of potential five-cent compositions. The significance of these patterns extends beyond their individual numismatic interest — taken as a group, they constitute one of the most comprehensive records of mid-nineteenth-century metallurgical experimentation in coinage. No other American denomination of any era generated as many compositional variants as the 1866 Shield Nickel, reflecting both the technical challenges of base-metal coinage and the economic importance of getting the new denomination right. Each surviving example allows modern metallurgists and numismatists to study alloys that were state-of-the-art technology in 1866.

Rarity Notes

R.6 to R.7. Approximately 10-15 examples survive.

Cross References

Pollock-3555