You Know What I Want That Final Number To Be

Hard to tell from the pics and corrosion, does the "N" is one look like the shallow "N" found on 1877?

It's so corroded that even with my 16X loupe under a strong light it's impossible to say. When I get a chance (maybe next week) I'll put it under the scope.

That's a rough looking coin.

fwiw, while hunting nickels, I have learned that harsh light and strong illumination are not necessarily helpful when examining faded coin features. Sometimes gentle axial light will bring up those sorts of details.

wow, that poor critter...

That's a toughie. It's a Type 1 obverse, so at least we can rule out 1887 and later. The first photo makes the third digit look more like a "7" but the second photo makes it look more rounded, like a "6" or "8." The last digit does look a bit too thick for a "1," but the amount of damage and metal movement makes even that assumption iffy.

This may take some time with Snow, trying to match any surviving markers with possible dates. I could see 1867 or 1871 or 1881 here, too. The "N" has me leaning more toward 1871, but the more I look at it, the more iffy that seems, too.

Interesting mystery!