1880 5C MS64 PCGS. CAC....

"The Treasury order suspending coinage of nickels remained in force until Dec. 12, 1881; there were 72,000 nickels struck for circulation in that month. However, there are non-proof coinages for 1879 and 1880 that require an explanation.
"At the end of 1876, Coiner A. Loudon Snowden had resigned to become postmaster of Philadelphia - but in March 1879, he returned as superintendent of the Philadelphia Mint. Snowden believed that numismatists ought to be able to buy single proof and uncirculated coins directly from the Mint, and to this end established policies benefiting the small collector.
"The major Snowden change affecting nickels was special permission from the Treasury to strike a reasonable number of uncirculated nickels and three-cent pieces. The roughly 49,000 nickels struck in 1879 and 1880 were meant primarily for those persons (including collectors) wanting uncirculated specimens of the new coins."