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1865 Fancy 5
| Weight | 6.22 g |
| Diameter | 23 mm |
| Mint | Philadelphia |
| Strike | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 13,640,000 Combined mintage for all 1865 varieties |
| Edge | Plain |
| Alignment | ↑↓ Coin |
| Composition | 95% Copper, 5% Tin & Zinc |
| Melt value | — |
| Designer | James B. Longacre |
| Collector's Key ID | CK-914 |
Collection
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Other recorded varieties for 1865:
- 1865
- 1865 Plain 5 · Plain 5
External references
The 1865 Fancy 5 variety uses a date punch where the numeral 5 has a more elaborate curl at the top. The decorative flourish is subtle but consistent across all coins from dies using this punch. The Fancy 5 is distinguished from the Plain 5 by the shape of that upper terminal, a detail visible on well-preserved examples under standard magnification.
Both 5 varieties exist for the 1865 two-cent piece, and specialists collect them as separate die marriages. The variety distinction is more of an artifact of punch selection than a dramatic production change, but it documents the manual nature of die preparation at the Mint in the 1860s. Every punch, every numeral, every letter on a coin die was positioned by hand, and the choice of which punch to use on a given day produced these collectible variations.
Reference data only — not an appraisal.
| Grade | Description | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| G-4 | Good (G) | — | — |
| VG-8 | Very Good (VG) | — | — |
| F-12 | Fine (F) | — | — |
| VF-20 | Very Fine (VF) | — | — |
| EF-40 | Extremely Fine (EF) | — | — |
| AU-50 | About Uncirculated (AU) | — | — |
| MS-60 | Uncirculated (MS) | — | — |
| MS-63 | Choice Uncirculated (MS) | — | — |
How many 1865 Fancy 5 Two-Cent Pieces were minted?
What is a 1865 Fancy 5 Two-Cent Piece made of?
What is the melt value of a 1865 Fancy 5 Two-Cent Piece?
Is the 1865 Fancy 5 Two-Cent Piece a key date?
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