1877 Shield Nickel. Proof-66+ Cameo (PCGS). CAC.This lovely Gem is untoned with bright silver gray surfaces. Both sides are fully struck from the rims to the centers, the devices frosty in texture and contrasting nicely with semi-reflective fields. 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 finest survivors known to PCGS, a coin that will have no difficulty finding its way into an impressive collection.
