CU-5c-1867-15 Cud

Description

Fifteenth documented cud for the 1867 Shield Nickel without rays, CU-5c-1867-15 is particularly notable for its location on the date area of this early American nickel design. A cud affecting the date creates an especially dramatic visual impact, as the raised featureless mass obliterates or partially covers one or more digits. Shield Nickels, designed by James B. Longacre and first issued in 1866, were among the earliest five-cent nickel-copper coins in American coinage. The "No Rays" subtype of 1867 refers to the removal of the radiating lines between the stars on the reverse — a design modification made during 1867 to improve die life after the original rays caused excessive die breakage. Despite this modification, fifteen cuds for a single date indicates that die rim failures remained a significant issue in Shield Nickel production, where the high-relief design and relatively crude die-making technology of the 1860s contributed to structural weaknesses. The 1867 No Rays Shield Nickel had a mintage of approximately 28.9 million pieces — a substantial figure reflecting the public's appetite for the new denomination. Cross-referenced as CU-5c-1867-15, this variety was cataloged by Cuds on Coins with the notation that the cud affects the date area, making it one of the more visually dramatic examples in the Shield Nickel die break census.

Attribution History

• Cross reference: CU-5c-1867-15.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References