Hi everyone! Just joined today. I was wondering if anyone is aware of an 1868 Shield Nickel variety with a broken serif in the "C" in "CENTS" on the reverse. I don't usually do much with error coins and this was pointed out to me from an eBay member when I listed the coin without mentioning it. I understand there is info on it in the CPG, but since I haven't been dealing much with errors, I haven't bought a copy yet. Susan
Howdy susanlynn9 - Welcome to the Forum !! Actually - there are 5 different varieties of 1868 Shield nickels involving the C in CENTS being broken. It's kind of hard to say which one yours may be - got a pic ?
Here is the link to the auction. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3922938563 I hope this link works. It doesn't seem like it's going to. The eBay auction number is at the end. Thanks. Susan
Hey susanlynn, just browsing through that e-bay product you posted, you mention a variety 2, I believe it is a variety one, you might want to double check that, to make sure no one gets upset and tries to sue over it.... If you have a cherry pickers guide, refer to page 214....
Okay, I know I'm going to sound stupid, but what the heck: I thought the Variety 1 had rays and the Variety 2 did not.
From my cherrypickers guide, it shows that the variety 1 has a broken C in Cents only, and the variety 2 has a broken C and a broken S in Cents....
When I stated Variety 2, I was talking about the coin variety not the error variety. Unfortunately, I still have not purchased the book because it was never my intention to get involved with error coins but it's working out differently than I planned. I'll fix the auction to specify it more clearly. Thank you for your help.
Hi there, Varieties can really be a fascinating part of a dealers day. Unfortunately many of the early varieties have very small differences that distinguish them apart. If you are going to make an attempt at attributing, I would highly recommend a very deep referrence library. Especially ones directly specific to a given series such as the VAM book for dollars. Each series will have their own books, and many generic books such as cherrypickers offer a wonderful referrence. As more collectors search for their own way of collecting, it is becoming a more mainstream aspect of our hobby. Good research is a must. The good part is, that knowledgeable collectors will certainly appreciate your efforts and you will notice that in your sales.
I don't understand describing an 1868 nickel as a "No Rays Variety". All Shield nickels from 1868-1883 are without rays. All Shield nickels from 1866 are with rays. The only date that has both varieties is 1867.
I will definitely do that. I am putting together a list of books that I want for my numismatic library. I am finding that I want to branch out into areas that I did not expect to. There's so much to learn
A lot has to do with search terms for auctions. While I and most other collectors are aware that the 1866 is the only one that could have rays, we monitor the search terms used to find our auctions and "no rays" in quotes has been used in the past. I will not "keyword spam" but I will use the correct terms that describe the coin if they have proven to come up in a search previously.
Ah, but that's exactly my point. The term "no rays variety" does not apply to an 1868 nickel. The only date that has a "no rays" variety is 1867. Susan, with all due respect, using this term in any auction's item description, other than one for an 1867, IS keyword spamming.
I hadn't thought of it that way. I will keep that in mind for future auctions of any coin that does not have multiple varieties for a given date. I can't change this one now because it has a bid. I truly never intended to keyword spam.
The five major broken letter varieties for the 1868 reverse of 1868 are covered here: http://www.shieldnickels.net/top20/reverseOf68.html There are additional varieties that are transitionals between the varieties covered on that web page.
