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Message:: [QUOTE="Hobo, post: 372720, member: 11521"]That's a pretty bad one alright. I'd say it would grade Fair-2 Corroded, maybe even Poor-1 Corroded. For some reason Shield Nickels were very susceptible to corrosion.  Shield Nickels are very interesting to me. There are plenty of interesting varieties. Some dates, especially 1868, have broken letters on the reverse. There are quite a few RPDs (repunched dates) and doubled dies. Die cracks abound in in this series.  The Shield Nickel was the first US nickel but it was not the first 5 cent piece. The Shield Nickel did not replace the Half Dime until 1873 so for 8 years the Mint produced both a nickel and a half dime. (During those same 8 years the Mint also produced two different 3 Cent coins - one silver and the other nickel.)  The nickel is the only US coin whose composition has not changed (except during WWII). However, while the weight of the nickel has not changed, the diameter has changed. The Shield Nickel was 20.5 mm in diameter. When the Liberty Nickel replaced the Shield Nickel in 1883 the diameter was increased to 21.2 mm and the thickness reduced in an effort to increase die life. The diameter of the nickel remains unchanged.  Shield Nickels are cool coins to collect. I hope you pick up some better examples in the future.[/QUOTE]