1867–1883: Shield Nickel (Variety 2: Without Rays on Reverse)

1867–1883: Shield Nickel (Variety 2: Without Rays on Reverse) history

1867–1883: Shield Nickel (Variety 2: Without Rays on Reverse) removes the reverse rays that had crowded the first Shield nickel design. The open spaces between stars simplified the die and define the principal 1867–1883 subtype.

The hard copper-nickel alloy still caused weak strikes and extensive die cracking. Date, shield lines, reverse stars, die state, and planchet quality are important when comparing examples.