The Shield Nickel was our first 5 cent nickel in the United States.
It features the number 5 on the reverse with stars surrounding it.
The Shield Nickel was designed by James B. Longacre and was only produced from 1866 to 1883.
For the first 2 years it was produced, the coin also had rays in between the stars on the reverse. Later in 1867, the rays were removed from the coin.
How Much Are Shield Nickels Worth?
When you get into pricing Shield Nickels you’ll find that even the common dates are worth quite a bit more than any of the other types of nickels. So I’ll list them all here:
| Coin | Value |
|---|---|
| 1883 3/2 | $180.00-$375.00 |
| 1883 | $18.00-$55.00 |
| 1882 | $18.00-$60.00 |
| 1881 | $250.00-$500.00 |
| 1880 | $450.00-$1200.00 |
| 1879 | $350.00-$750.00 |
| 1878 Proofs Only | $1100.00 |
| 1877 Proofs Only | $2000.00 |
| 1876 | $35.00-$120.00 |
| 1875 | $35.00-$125.00 |
| 1874 | $28.00-$100.00 |
| 1873 Open 3 | $25.00-$75.00 |
| 1873 Closed 3 | $28.00-$135.00 |
| 1872 | $30.00-$100.00 |
| 1871 | $65.00-$225.00 |
| 1870 | $25.00-$80.00 |
| 1869 | $18.00-$60.00 |
| 1868 | $18.00-$60.00 |
| 1867 No Rays | $18.00-$60.00 |
| 1867 With Rays | $35.00-$190.00 |
| 1866 With Rays | $25.00-$160.00 |
See what I mean?
This picture shows the important parts of a shield nickel.
If you’re a beginner or on a low budget collection, then the shield nickel set probably isn’t for you just yet.
I’ve been collecting for a while now and have thousands of coins in my collection — but I still haven’t even attempted to get the shield nickel set yet. Maybe when I win the lottery…
I have been collecting and trading coins for years. Coin collecting is a hobby for me, and I’ve done a lot of research about coins through the years.