1883 Shield Nickel US Philadelphia Mint

  

1883 Shield Nickel -- The Shield nickel was the first United States five-cent piece to be made out of copper-nickel, the same alloy of which American nickels are struck today. Longacre, the coin was issued from 1866 until 1883, when it was replaced by the Liberty Head nickel. The coin takes its name from the motif on its obverse, and was the first five-cent coin referred to as a "nickel"-silver pieces of that denomination had been known as half dimes.

Ancient Coins 50BC to 1700s. Civil War 1861 to 1865. Flying Eagles & Indian Heads.

Bronze, Copper Coins & Metal. Copper / Nickel and Zinc Coins. Obverse design is "one of the most patriotic motifs in American coinage". Based on the coat of arms from the Great Seal of the United States of America, Longacre's design focused on the shield, or escutcheon as a defensive weapon, symbolizing strength and self-protection through unity. The upper part of the shield, or "chief", symbolizes Congress, while the 13 vertical stripes, or "paleways" symbolize the states; consequently the entire escutcheon symbolizes the strength of the federal government through the unity of the states.

The crossed arrows, whose ends are visible near the bottom of the shield, symbolize nonaggression, but imply readiness against attack. The laurel branches, taken from Greek tradition, symbolize victory.

In heraldic engraving, vertical lines represent red, clear areas white and horizontal lines blue, thus the escutcheon is colored red, white and blue and is meant to evoke the American flag. Bowers does not consider the reverse design an artistic work, but one which is purely mechanical, obtained by punching characters and devices into a steel hub. This item is in the category "Coins & Paper Money\Coins: US\Nickels\Shield (1866-83)".com" and is located in this country: US.

This item can be shipped to United States, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Wallis and Futuna, Poland, Suriname, Argentina, Ireland, Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia, Aruba, Sweden, Iceland, Macedonia, Belgium, Israel, Liechtenstein, Antigua and Barbuda, Italy, Panama, Singapore, Switzerland, Chile, Republic of Croatia, Portugal, Malta, Cayman Islands, Paraguay, Cyprus, Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Norway, Kiribati, Grenada, Greece, Haiti, Greenland, Montenegro, Bahamas, United Kingdom, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Western Samoa, France, Peru, Denmark, Guatemala, Solomon Islands, Vatican City State, Nauru, Anguilla, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Tonga, San Marino, Saint Kitts-Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Philippines, Colombia, Spain, Estonia, Bermuda, Montserrat, Vanuatu, Ecuador, Albania, Monaco, Moldova, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Bolivia, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Saint Lucia, Canada, Turks and Caicos Islands, Andorra, Romania, Costa Rica, Mexico, Serbia, Lithuania, Trinidad and Tobago, Nicaragua, Finland, Luxembourg, Brazil, Germany, Latvia, Jamaica, Honduras.

• Circulated/Uncirculated: Circulated
• Denomination: 5C
• Coin: Shield
• Composition: copper-nickel
• Year: 1883
• Number: WT 4 - #10
• Strike Type: Business
• Mint Location: Philadelphia
• Grade: Ungraded
• Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
• Certification: Uncertified