Shield Nickel, No Rays (1867-1883): CoinWeek's Coin Profile
On January 21, 2026, CoinWeek published a profile of the U.S. Shield Nickel without rays, struck from 1867 to 1883. The United States Mint removed the reverse rays in early 1867 because of striking problems and premature die failure. The profile covers key dates, varieties, counterfeits and specifications.
Correction (Oct 13, 2026): We rewrote the headline, summary and body to match the source. We removed claims not in the source, including a rise in silver prices, an 1866 Mint decision, an interpretation of the shield as a symbol of national unity, an alloy ratio that differs from the source, a claim that the market drove the shift ahead of policy, and investment statements; we also corrected the location of the rays to the reverse and stated the source date (a coin profile published January 21, 2026). The previous headline was "Shield Nickel Production Data Reveals Half Dime Obsolescence Strategy."
This article is based on a CoinWeek coin profile published on January 21, 2026. It is a reference guide to a U.S. five-cent coin struck from 1867 to 1883, not a report on a new event.
Why the Reverse Rays Were Removed
According to CoinWeek, ongoing striking problems on the hard nickel blanks led to premature die failure. This pushed the United States Mint to make a modest change to the Shield Nickel design in early 1867.
The rays on the reverse were removed. The Mint hoped the coins would strike up more completely and that dies would last longer. CoinWeek says there is agreement that the change produced the desired result, particularly by increasing die life so that more coins could be produced per die pair.
Because of the change, 1867-dated Shield Nickels exist both With Rays and Without Rays.
The Silver Half Dime
With the exception of 1871, production of the nickel five-cent piece was higher than that of the silver half dime each year through the end of half dime production in 1873.
Notes for Collectors
CoinWeek says business strike Shield Nickels with no rays are generally affordable up through middle Mint State grades, with strong increases at the Gem level and above. Sharply struck coins remain a challenge, but strike is generally considered better than on the 1866-1867 With Rays coins.
The Mint did not produce business strikes in 1877 and 1878 due to lack of need. The low-mintage years 1879 through 1881 are key, with 1880 the most scarce.
Among Proofs, the 1877 and 1878 are considered key. The Proof-only 1879/8 overdate is a significant variety but generally does not carry a significantly higher price. Counterfeits dated 1870 through 1876 are common, circulating mostly in New York and New Jersey, but CoinWeek says they are easily identified because of different shield and letter designs.
Design
All were struck by the Philadelphia Mint, so none has a mintmark. Both sides have denticles along the rim. The obverse carries the motto "In God We Trust" along the top and the date at the bottom. In the center is an ornamented shield topped with a cross, flanked by laurel leaves, above two crossed arrows.
The reverse reads "United States of America" around the top and "Cents" at the bottom. A large numeral 5 is in the center, encircled by 13 six-point stars. On 1873 coins, the 3 was initially somewhat closed at the open end, causing confusion with an 8. A change was made, so the year has both Open 3 and Closed 3 types, with Proofs only in the Closed style. The edge is plain.
Varieties and Specifications
CoinWeek names the 1873 Open 3 and Closed 3, the Proof 1879/8 and the 1883/2 as the best-known varieties. The 1883/2 overpunch carries significantly higher premiums, often 10 times or more, at all grade levels.
The profile lists a circulation mintage high of 28,890,500 (1867) and low of 16,000 (1880), and a Proof mintage high of 5,419 (1883) and low of 510 (1877). The coin weighs 5.0 g and measures 20.5 mm. James Barton Longacre designed both sides.
Source: CoinWeek, "Shield Nickel, No Rays (1867-1883)" (January 21, 2026).
Read next
Weekly Market Intelligence
Weekly rare coin intelligence — auctions, price action, and analysis, delivered via LINE.
Free · Instant · Block anytime