Whitman Expo
Shield Nickel 5c Rays, 1866-1867 [Type] CAC PR64
Greysheet & CPG® PRICE GUIDE
Proof versions of the Shield nickel were struck during every year of the series run from 1866 through 1883. The Shield nickel, designed by James B. Longacre, became America's first copper-nickel five-cent coin and is the forerunner of the nickel that we use today in commerce. Proof Shield nickels are generally scarce, with between 600 and 3,000 pieces struck during any given year, with a few exceptions. On the high end of proof production is the 1883 proof Shield nickel, with 5,419 specimens struck. On the low side is the 1867 Rays proof Shield nickel, which saw a mintage of merely 25 pieces. There are a few interesting notes about proof Shield nickels. The extraordinarily scarce 1867 Without Rays Pattern Reverse Shield nickel is one of the most challenging issues. The 1877 and 1878 are proof-only dates for the Shield nickel and thus trade at much higher levels due to pressure from date-set collectors. Also of note is the scarce 1879/8 proof overdate, though estimates by Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) suggest this variety is probably about as common, or only a little less so, than the so-called normal date.
Obverse: A shield flanked on the left and right by leaves topped with a cross with arrows positioned behind at the bottom so the arrow heads and shanks protrude at the sides. The motto IN GOD WE TRUST appears at the top periphery with the date positioned at the bottom center.
Reverse: A large numeral 5 surrounded by 13 stars centered in the design with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA * CENTS around the periphery. Straight lines, depicting rays of the sun, extended from the numeral to between the stars. The rays were removed in 1867.
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Greysheet/Greensheet prices are wholesale market levels for collectible coins/paper money intended to indicate what a dealer, or wholesale, buyer would pay for the described item in the specified grade. Greysheet/Greensheet represent "sight-seen" values based on a buyer's in-hand review. The actual value can be more or less than this depending on factors including eye appeal and market timing.
Bluesheet (NGC & PCGS) prices represent the highest sight-unseen offers to buy on dealer networks like CDN Exchange. In many cases, there are no active sight-unseen buy offers, so CDN looks to the recent lowest market values for such an item. For this reason, Bluesheet values typically represent the floor of the market for the specified item. CDN only tracks Bluesheet on certain items.
CAC prices are for U.S. coins that meet the standards of the Certified Acceptance Corporation. You can learn more about CAC on their web site.
Price movement is indicated for price changes in the last 30 days.
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