1866 Shield Nickel Rays MS64
$900.00
1866 Shield Nickel Rays MS64 The 1866 Shield Nickel Rays MS64 opens the Shield Nickel series as the first U.S. five-cent nickel coin. This Rays variety from the inaugural year carries immediate recognition among collectors building 19th-century type sets. Its shield obverse pairs with a numeral 5 reverse, struck in copper-nickel composed of 75% copper and 25% nickel.
The issue replaced wartime fractional currency and introduced nickel as a standard U.S. denomination. Collectors pursue the 1866 Shield Nickel Rays MS64 for its foundational role in any complete 19th-century nickel type collection, securing its place as the first nickel five-cent piece.
Key features
- Year: 1866
- Denomination: nickel
- Composition: 75% copper, 25% nickel
- Obverse: Shield obverse with numeral 5 reverse.
- Varieties: Rays
- Grade: MS64