1877 Shield Nickel. Proof-66 Cameo (NGC). A lovely golden-tinged specimen, lightly toned over fully impressed, satin to semi-reflective surfaces. One of just two Proof-only issues in the Shield nickel series, and scarcer than the 1878, the 1877 is the rarest date of this design type. While many numismatic references provide a mintage of 900 Proofs for the 1877, the actual figure was not recorded at the time. Bowers (2006) estimates it at 1,250 to 1,500 coins. This is one of the finer survivors seen by NGC, a coin that will have no difficulty finding its way into an impressive collection. PCGS# 83831. NGC ID: 276U.
