Shield nickel
The Shield Nickel is the first American 5-cent piece that is not made of silver but of cupronickel . The course coin designed by James B. Longacre was minted between 1866 and 1883.
history
During the civil war , the gold and silver coins in circulation were hoarded in large quantities. As a result, there was a shortage of coins, especially with the small denominations. To counteract this, banknotes with low denominations were issued, which, however, met with little approval from the population. Finally, James Pollock, director of the United States Mint , arranged for the nickel to be minted , which was approved by the legislature on May 16, 1866. The hard nickel, however, proved problematic despite the fact that only copper-nickel was used. The early copies are often of poor quality. The use of nickel as a coin metal is mainly due to the political influence of the nickel magnate Joseph Wharton .
description
The obverse of the coin features a shield with two olive branches attached to the seal of the United States . Above is the motto " IN GOD WE TRUST " (English: We trust in God ) and underneath is the year of issue.
The reverse shows the number “5” surrounded by a circle on 13 stars. In the first years of the minting, there were also rays between the stars whose clean imprinting was technically too demanding and which was therefore soon left out. This circle is in turn surrounded by the country name “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and the currency unit “CENTS” .
The coin has a diameter of 20.5 mm and weighs 5 g. The edge is smooth. It consists of cupronickel with 75% copper and 25% nickel .
Years and editions
The following table contains all coined years and their circulation. In the third column, the conditions of the coins are in Proof (engl .: Proof) listed. All coins were minted in Philadelphia. The vintages marked with a star have rays between the stars on the reverse.
| year | Edition | Proof |
|---|---|---|
| 1866 * | 14,742,500 | about 500 |
| 1867 * | 2,019,000 | approx. 75 |
| 1867 | 28,890,500 | about 600 |
| 1868 | 28,817,000 | about 600 |
| 1869 | 16,395,000 | about 600 |
| 1870 | 4,806,000 | approx. 1,000 |
| 1871 | 561,000 | circa 960 |
| 1872 | 6,036,000 | approx. 950 |
| 1873 | 4,550,000 | approx. 1,100 |
| 1874 | 3,538,000 | about 700 |
| 1875 | 2,097,000 | about 700 |
| 1876 | 2,530,000 | approx. 1,150 |
| 1877 | - | approx. 510 |
| 1878 | - | 2,350 |
| 1879 | 25,900 | 3,200 |
| 1880 | 16,000 | 3,955 |
| 1881 | 68,800 | 3,575 |
| 1882 | 11,472,900 | 3,100 |
| 1883 | 1,451,500 | 5,419 |
Individual evidence
- ↑ Volume and editions of the Shield Nickel (English)