1872 Shield Nickel - Grease Filled Dies
Updated August 19, 2026
| Lot number | 63 |
| Auction | VARIETY COIN AUCTION - 8/26/26 |
| Date | August 26, 2026 at 7:05 PM CDT |
| Auction house | BIGBIDNOW |
| Location | Columbia, Missouri |
1872 Shield Nickel with a grease-filled die error, struck at the Philadelphia Mint. This early Shield Nickel combines the historical appeal of 19th-century U.S. coinage with an interesting minting error caused by debris or grease filling portions of the die. Please review the photos for the exact areas of missing or weakened detail and overall condition. The Shield Nickel was introduced in 1866 and features a shield with the motto “IN GOD WE TRUST” on the obverse and a large Roman numeral “V” surrounded by stars and a wreath on the reverse. The 1872 issue is the With No Rays design. The 1872 Shield Nickel had a mintage of 6,036,000 coins. It was struck in 75% copper and 25% nickel, weighs 5.00 grams, measures approximately 20.5 mm in diameter, and has a plain edge. Philadelphia Mint examples carry no mint mark. A grease-filled die occurs when grease and other material collect in recessed portions of a working die, preventing those areas from striking fully. This can result in weak, missing, or indistinct design details on the finished coin. The appearance and significance of the error depend on the specific affected areas.
