Reply to Thread

Message:: [QUOTE="Paddy54, post: 2048572, member: 19250"][ATTACH=full]375807[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]375809[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]375810[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]375811[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]375812[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]375813[/ATTACH] in 1866 we had a cent, two cent, Three cent , silver half dime. But what this country really needed was a good 5 cent Cigar and a nickel beer to go with it! so by the act of May 16 1866 the Shield nickel was first produced.The nickel being made of .750 copper and .250 nickel was a much stronger medal and the coins would last longer.The work horse of the working class. Plus there was no silver in the coin thus no hoarding.its Designer James B. Longacre first designed the coin with Rays between the stars. and within a year congress made him change the design to just stars on it's reverse. This was due to the fact that the nickel being a diameter of 20.5 mm and the thickness of the platchet  caused issues using the ray design. Most dies only got around 12,000 strikes.  With millions needed to support the working class needs  the design was changed mid-year 1867. thus the 1867 Variety with rays and the 1867 No Ray Variety. All were coined at the Philadelphia mint with no mint marks.[/QUOTE]