1883 Shield Nickel - 3/2

Coin Details

Auction Record

Description

This is the 1883/2 overdate variety of the 1883 Shield Nickel. Dies were expensive, and a serviceable die left over at the end of a year was often kept and re-dated rather than destroyed: the new digits were punched directly over the old ones. The earlier date survives underneath wherever its strokes fall outside the digits punched over it, which is why an overdate is read from the shapes that do not belong to the date as printed. The effect is in the die, so every coin struck from it carries the same remnant in the same position. Any mintage given below counts the entire issue for this date and mint, not this variety: a variety comes from one die or a few, and how many coins they struck was never separately recorded. A nickel from the Philadelphia Mint, the 1883 Shield Nickel - 3/2 belongs to the Shield Nickels 1866-1883 series. The 1883 Shield Nickel issue as a whole had a mintage of 1.5 million; how many coins carry this variety is unknown. The obverse features a large Union shield with a motto ribbon and crossed arrows behind it and the reverse displays a large numeral 5 within a circle of stars, without rays. Final year of the Shield Nickel. Struck in 75% copper, 25% nickel, weighing 5 grams, 20.5 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. Cataloged as PCGS #3814.