USA 5 cents Union Shield No Rays 1881
USA, Philadelphia
Attributes of Coins
| Region | USA |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 5 cents |
| Krause number | KM# 97 |
| Metal | Copper-Nickel |
| diameter | 20.5 mm |
| weight | 5 g |
Obverse:
Weapon
Creators:
James Barton Longacre
IN GOD WE TRUST
Reverse:
Star
Creators:
James Barton Longacre
5 CENTS
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Introduction of Coins
The large number of proofs coined this year was due in part to the scarcity of currency pieces, and the premium charged for minor proofs was so low. There was also speculative interest in the proof-only trade dollars of this and surrounding years, so that added to the sales of silver proof sets which included the minor coins, as well. Though not always fully struck at their centers, most 1881 proof nickels were quite well made by the standards of the time. They certainly were an improvement over those of the 1870s. Gems are fairly plentiful, and enough Cameo proofs are known to make these collectable for the advanced specialist. It appears that all proofs were coined with an obverse die that displays slight repunching on the second 8.Read More
