Was Just Grading Some Hole-Filler Shield Nickels When...

The easiest way to know it wasn't an 83/2 was that it didn't have the 1883 date logotype On 1882 the digits are fairly close while on the 1883 the digits are much rurther away from each other. You could easily slip the upright of another 1 inbetween each of those digits. You can't do that on the 1882 logotype, the 1 would overlap the other digits. The first thing I do whenever someone says they have an 83/2 is I look for that wide 1883 date. If it's not there, and it usually isn't, then it can't be an 83/2.