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1866 5C Rays PR65 Cameo PCGS. The Shield Nickel s

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:2,800.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1866 5C Rays PR65 Cameo PCGS. The Shield Nickel s
<B>1866<5C> Rays PR65 Cameo PCGS.</B></I> The Shield Nickel series of 1866-1883 arose partly out of Uncle Sam's desire to retire the fractional currency that had become prevalent during the Civil War, and partly out of his intent to produce inexpensive minor coinage that would generate profit for the federal government. The premier specimen strikings of this type are the only readily collectible proof Shield Nickels that display rays between the reverse stars. At the PR65 level of preservation, Peters and Mohon (1995) rank the 1866 Rays 8th out of the 20 proof deliveries in this series. This attractively toned Gem is mildly contrasted between frosty devices and moderately reflective fields. The primary color is dark-olive, while milky-tan patina is splashed over roughly half of the reverse, and both sides display underlying multicolored iridescence. It is also sharply impressed with no post-production distractions to report. Whereas many examples of this first-year proof nickel are plagued by unsightly planchet problems, this coin presents a smooth appearance with no voids or laminations of note. Population: 21 in 65, 29 finer (6/05).<BR><I>From The Melrose Bay Collection.</B></I>