1867 Shield Nickel - No Rays - CU-5c-1867-16R Cud

Description

Cataloged on the reverse of an 1867 Shield Nickel of the No Rays variety, CU-5c-1867-16R records a reverse cud on this early nickel five-cent coin. 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. 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.

Cross References

• Cross reference: see CU-5c-1867-16R

External References