3103

1866 Rays 5c NGC MS65 [L#3103

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:975.00 USD Estimated At:1,500.00 - 2,500.00 USD
1866 Rays 5c NGC MS65 [L#3103
Crisp bloom from the dies; a very appealing specimen whose luster is all original, almost slightly nickel-blue in its near-pristine color. A coin that was produced at a time when the mint was desperately trying to catch up with the huge demand for small coinage after the American civil war. The use of nickel instead of unavailable silver (which was being hoarded at the time) was the decision rendered by the powers that be. James Barton Longacre quickly designed the new coin and had patterns struck for various Congressmen. Upon striking only a few coins the dies were found to crack. Longacre determined that the rays were a contributing factor to this rapid die deterioration, and so eliminated them after only a small number were struck in 1866-67. The Gems of this type are well known for their rarity.