1883 Five Cents

HBCC#:

6167

Breen#:

n/a

BD#:

n/a

Judd#:

1704

Pollock#:

1908

With the exception of a copper trade dollar from the regular-issue dies, all pattern coins dated 1883 are five-cent pieces. The Mint was experimenting with different alloys of nickel and copper for this coinage. Several of these pattern issues share common obverse and reverse designs, with only the composition inside the wreath changing. This example is stated to be pure nickel. Others are marked, for example, 50N / 50C, which would be 50% nickel with 50% copper. Other alloys included 75% nickel with 25% copper, 33% nickel with 67% copper, and 25% nickel with 75% copper.

Provenance:

Purchased from Abner Kreisberg on November 30, 1970.

Obverse:

Central device identical to that used on regular issue nickel five cents 1883-1912, with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA above and date below.

Reverse:

PURE NICKEL inside wreath of cotton and corn with FIVE above and CENTS below, seven stars to left and six stars to right.

Commentary: