CU-5c-1867-16R Cud

Description

Cataloged on the reverse of an 1867 Shield Nickel of the No Rays variety, CU-5c-1867-16R represents the sixteenth documented reverse cud for this date — a remarkably high count that reflects the extensive die variety research conducted on early nickel five-cent coins. The Shield Nickel, designed by James B. Longacre, was the first U.S. five-cent coin struck in the copper-nickel alloy that gave the denomination its colloquial name. The 1867 No Rays variety omits the rays between the stars on the reverse that appeared on the 1866 and early 1867 issues, a design modification made because the rays caused excessive die wear. A cud forms when a section of the die rim fractures and separates, leaving a cavity that fills with metal during striking to produce a raised featureless mass on the finished coin. Sixteen reverse cuds documented for a single date from the 1860s is extraordinary and speaks to the dedicated community of Shield Nickel specialists. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, this variety belongs to the Reconstruction era of American coinage, when the Shield design served as the nation's standard five-cent piece.

Attribution History

• Cross reference: see CU-5c-1867-16R
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References