Sandon's Proof Three Cent Nickels
1875

Owner Comments:

This is an interesting coin that I purchased through an online auction in August 2021. First of all, it is an interesting die variety found in the Cherrypickers Guide (FS 3N-1875-301, old #006.5) described as having the point of an errant "1" punched into the obverse die so that it protrudes from Liberty's neck. This point, which is straight and angled upward, does not match the point of the "1" in the date, which is differently shaped and angled downward. The NGC Coin Explorer states that this variety is found on both some proofs and some circulation strikes.

It is debatable whether this coin was issued as one of the 228,000 reported circulation strikes rather than one of the "700+" reported proofs. The obverse is somewhat more reflective than the photos (courtesy of Stacks Bowers Galleries) suggest but exhibits considerable "cartwheel" when rotated under a light. The reverse is hardly reflective at all and is frosty in some areas but exhibits heavy die polish marks when viewed at a certain angle. While these factors render the proof status of the coin somewhat questionable, the appearance of several "lint marks" on the obverse, the strong strike, and the absence of coin to coin contact justify by a preponderance of the evidence NGC's classification of this coin as a proof.