1872 5c Double Die Obverse, FS-103 MS

Key to Collecting: The 1872 Shield nickel is available in all grades through gem Mint State, but is somewhat scarce at higher levels. Proofs often lack eye appeal, and care is suggested when buying. Most Proofs have slight doubling of the date numerals.

Characteristics and Appearance: Usually fairly well struck. Mint State coins have satiny (rather than deeply frosty) luster. The Proof die pair with doubled-date obverse was also used to make a few circulation strikes.14 About 10% of the 1872 nickels are of Obverse Style 1b, with the remaining being of Obverse Style 1c.15

Characteristics and Appearance: Lintmarks can be a problem on Proofs of this era. Some Proofs have tiny nicks and marks in the shield stripes, the result of the original planchet’s not being flattened completely during the striking process. One Proof die has doubling on the obverse (see the illustration above), most obvious at the annulet at the lower tip of the cross and at the meeting of the horizontal and vertical shield lines. Most seen today are from this die. A rare variant from the same die has the alignment in the same direction as the reverse, or medal-wise. “I have seen exactly one of these in years of searching,” Howard Spindel reported.16 As noted above, this die and its mate were also used to make some circulation strikes. Proofs have a mirrored edge (when viewed edge- on), while circulation strikes do not.

Doubled Die—Many doubled obverse dies are described in the literature, including FS-101 through FS-107; one of these (FS-105, F-05) is tripled.17 FS-103, (F-124, shown) is strongly doubled, including the upper frame of the shield. One curious die of this year is tagged with this comment by Fivaz and Stanton: “We just love this series, and with the number of new, great varieties that continue to turn up, you should too!” It is truly amazing that only a tiny fraction of the die doublings, repunchings, and so on described by Fivaz-Stanton, Fletcher, and Peters-Mohon were known to numismatists a generation ago.

In total, the CONECA files, maintained by Ken Hill, identify 32 doubled dies for 187218 (a number second only to that for the year 1868). These examples are documented in the panorama of photographs in Howard Spindel’s Shield Nickel Viewer as well.

Small Over Large Date—FS-308, F-102. A too-large, four-digit date logotype for a Liberty Seated dime was first used, mostly effaced in the die, and the standard (Small Date) 1872 nickel punch was used. Traces of the Large Date remain. This variety was first reported by Ken Hill in the summer 1988 issue of Nickel News. URS-4. A similar error (FS-301) exists for the 1867 With Rays.