1869 Shield Nickel - CU-5c-1869-03 Cud

Description

CU-5c-1869-03, a cud on the 1869 Shield Nickel, documents a die rim fracture on one of the earlier dates of America's first base-metal five-cent piece. James Barton Longacre's Shield Nickel design, introduced in 1866 and struck through 1883, features a prominent Union shield on the obverse and a large numeral 5 surrounded by stars on the reverse (the rays between the stars were dropped early in 1867) — a design whose deep relief and bold elements created significant stress concentrations in the die during striking. The Philadelphia Mint produced 16,395,000 Shield Nickels in 1869, a moderate output in the series' fourth year, using the new copper-nickel alloy that was considerably harder than the copper used for cents and the silver used for half dimes, placing greater mechanical demands on the dies. No additional cross-references exist beyond the primary designation. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins as CU-5c-1869-03.

Cross References

• Cross reference number: none. See CU-5c-1869-03.

External References