THE MOTHER OR ALL SHIELD NICKELS!!!

zaxfire69 · Jun 3, 2010

I dug this shield nickel today. I am having trouble typing right now. The date is legible..My camera is having trouble picking up the details. Wish my HD camera was working. I have dug 1 shield nickel and 4 V-Nickels from a 20 ft square..Today when this one came out I could see the shield and knew it was a shield Nickel. I had no Idea it was 1 of 16,000 minted..May I introduce you to my best coin to date... I won't be cleaning this one.

The 1880 Shield Nickel
1 of 16,000 Minted in 1880

Iron Patch · Jun 16, 2010

Have you had it looked at by a "good" local coin dealer? That would be a first step because if he truly believes it's 1880 he'll probably ask if it's for sale. If he doesn't believe it's an 1880 and lets you walk out, then it might not be a good idea to bother with grading. Your pictures are inconclusive and no one on this forum or anywhere else can help, but only congratulate you on what we're being told. Good luck, and I hope you're right, but don't cost yourself the money for a grading service only to be let down. Be sure they're going to see what you and a coin dealer (or two) see.

ProPointer · Jun 17, 2010

$:-\$ Looks like you scratched it by the left side of the shield. Good find for sure though.

Lil Eagle Eye · Jun 17, 2010

WTG,,,Awesome find!

GOLD1960 · Jul 5, 2011

AG at most ... cool

Now when you find one of these you will be a Superhero and find of the decade.

_______

HighTone · Jul 5, 2011

Awesome find man... Good luck with your coin :icon_thumright:

ddjames · Jul 5, 2011

Congrats on your epic find!

treasuremouse · Jul 5, 2011

nice find

mfitzy111 · Jul 5, 2011

congrats on an outstandingly rare find!!!! nice. :headbang:

joeyfresh · Jul 5, 2011

I knew I saw one of these being found last year. I was like WOW...another one

Tuberale · Jul 13, 2011

I think you need to re-consider cleaning it. I would use acetone only, on Q-tips, and gently rubbed in a clockwise rotation over both side. Take your time. Acetone will only affect organic material, and there could be quite a bit present on this coin. Having a clearer photo of both sides should be able to prove to anyone interested whether it's a fake or not.

If it doesn't clean up completely the first time, let it sit for a few weeks, then try acetone again. Sometimes the coin just needs to dehydrate for additional debris to come off.

I just re-cleaned a near toasted 1885 with acetone, and was able to obtain a much better color/quality for the coin, even though it's still in pretty bad shape from being in the ground for long.

zaxfire69 · Jul 14, 2011

I will see if I can find the coin. I have it in a bag with other coins. As you can see it is really hard to see, but to me that is the only number it could be. I thought about the 0 being a 2, but it just does not look like it under magnification. Some coin guys have said yes, some say no. I'm nervous about sending it off. Plus that costs lots of money.

spitfire55 · Jul 15, 2011

Tuberale · Jul 15, 2011

zaxfire69 said:
Your not going to see it on Ebay. Ebay took it upon themselves to remove my coin. They said that there is no way that this was an 1880 Shield Nickel. They said it was a replica.. I am really upset about this. Apparently they have a Community Coin watch group that said that because my coin wasn't graded there is no way it is real. That is was a replica. Well then I guess in 1880 when it was dropped in the same hole as the other 4- 1890-1911 V nickels that someone must have replicated it. Give me a break. I would love to talk personally with the yahoo that said that this coin was a replica. Just blows my mind.

Have looked at the photos again, and compared them to my Shield Nickel set. Pretty sure it's an 1880, but it still needs cleaning/slabbing to get full value on Ebay.

I understand your upset. I found a 1909 S VDB Wheatie in a collection I got from Ebay, and wasn't certain of the authenticity of the coin, as it is often altered by people trying to create a higher-value coin. First took it to a local expert I know, who suggested it was authentic, then offered to send it to PCGS with other coins he was sending for slabbing. Happy to do so. Came back "Authentic. Environmental damage." Yours will too. But the key here is having PCGS state for anyone who wants an unbiased 2nd opinion that is is "Authentic."

Don't worry about other people handling the coin. It will come back in much better condition than you send it in, and it will be totally worth the price.

Hope to see new photos of slabbed coin in a couple months.

zaxfire69 · Jul 15, 2011

After viewing the topic and finding the coin again I found a really good article on the coin. It seems that there are 3 varieties of the 1880 Shield nickel. 1st variety is the Business strike. Then you have 2 Proof Varities. One is a normal date and the other is a dropped 8 date. The dropped 8 has the 8 lower than the first 8 in the Date. On the reverse side of the coin the last S in states and the S in cents has a die error. The hub was broken at the top of the S in states and at the bottom of the S in cents. They have been patched by hand. Now I can only see the S in cents and I know it looks different. Very out of alignment and has a line going through it. You can see that clearly. This thing is just so worn.
It is just hard to tell.

Page 20 in this article.

http://www.shieldnickels.net/articles/Wescott.pdf