1867 No Rays Proof

After the rays came off and the Mint settled on the simpler reverse, proof production followed the circulation change. Approximately 600 No Rays proofs were struck during the remainder of 1867, making this variety significantly more available than either the 25-coin With Rays proof or the handful of Pattern Reverse pieces. The coin represents the standard proof of the revised Shield nickel design that would continue unchanged through the end of the series in 1883.

Mirror fields are typically deep on well-preserved 1867 No Rays proofs, and the Cameo contrast that defines the most desirable examples is available on coins struck early in the die life. Most surviving examples show some toning or handling from long-term storage, and hairline-free PR66 and above pieces command the strongest premiums. Heritage Auctions and Stack's Bowers offer certified examples regularly at prices that reflect the date's scarcity by normal proof standards, well below the extreme premiums of the With Rays versions.

For collectors building Shield nickel proof sets by year, the 1867 No Rays is one of the first acquisitions and typically the earlier of the two 1867 proof variants a collector accepts (the With Rays being a later and more expensive target). For type set builders, the No Rays proof represents the revised Shield nickel design at its sharpest, and the coin is more practical as a type-set choice than any circulation strike because proof production eliminated the strike weaknesses that plague business coinage across the entire series.