1866 5C Shield Nickel, with Rays NGC PR65 (CAC)

With a mintage of only 600, this issue is rare to begin with. NGC has graded 55 as PR65 with 32 finer. In CAC, there are 14 in PR65 with 7 finer.

Writes Ron Guth of the business strike Shield Nickels in PCGS Coin Facts, "In 1866, the U.S. government introduced a new 5 Cent piece made of nickel as an alternative for the silver Half Dime. The two coins were issued side-by-side through 1873, after which the Half Dime was discontinued and the 'Nickel' became the coin of the land."

"The proofs of this date are generally well struck," writes NGC Coin Explorer, "though a few will show slight weakness at the right side of the chief, the upper portion of the shield in which horizontal lines represent the color blue. This is in contrast to the [business strike] pieces, which are almost always poorly defined. There seem to be enough proof 1866 nickels to satisfy the demand, though gems are scarce .... This is the only issue in the series to have a tiny centering dot on the reverse. This die was evidently unique to 1866 proofs and some pattern coins."

James B. Longacre, who crafted the design for the Shield Nickel.