1870 Shield Nickel Value
A 1870 Shield Nickel is worth roughly $0.10 to $38.00 depending on its condition. Exceptional, certified pieces regularly exceed the top of that range.
Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.
1870 Shield Nickel value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Good (G-4) | $0.10 to $0.15 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $0.10 to $0.20 |
| Fine (F-12) | $0.20 to $0.35 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $0.40 to $0.70 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $0.80 to $1.35 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $1.60 to $2.70 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $3.20 to $5.40 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $7.20 to $12.00 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $22.50 to $38.00 |
Estimated retail range, updated 2026-06-15. Estimates are modeled from mintage rarity and metal content, not auction records. Actual sale prices vary with certification, eye appeal and market timing.
How much is a 1870 Shield Nickel worth today?
A 1870 Shield Nickel that spent decades in circulation is worth about $0.10 today. One that never circulated at all can bring up to $38.00. The honest answer for most inherited or pocket-found examples sits in the lower half of the table.
1870 Shield Nickel specifications
- Series
- Shield Nickel
- Year
- 1870
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- 75% copper, 25% nickel
- Weight
- 5 g
- Diameter
- 20.5 mm
- Edge
- Plain
- Designer
- James Barton Longacre
Why this coin has no mint mark
The 1870 Shield Nickel was struck at the Philadelphia Mint, which used no mint mark in this era. If you find no letter where branch-mint coins carry one (None, all Shield nickels were struck at Philadelphia), you are holding a Philadelphia issue.
Where this coin's value comes from
Documented examples of the 1870 Shield Nickel in our reference database anchor what we know about this issue. Mintage records are incomplete, so collector demand and surviving population drive its market.
There is history in a 1870 Shield Nickel as well. America's first five-cent nickel piece was born of the Civil War, when silver half dimes vanished into hoards and the Mint needed a base-metal substitute the public would accept. That backdrop keeps the series among the most actively collected in American numismatics.
1870 Shield Nickel inscriptions & design
Obverse
IN GOD WE TRUST / (date)
Shield draped with laurel wreath
Reverse
• UNITED STATES OF AMERICA • / 5 / CENTS
Value within stars
Measured 1870 Shield Nickel specimens
1 physically measured 1870 Shield Nickel example in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 5 g, 20.5 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 Shield Nickel #1 | - | - | - | - |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1870 Shield Nickel is valued between $0.10 and $38.00 as of 2026-06-15. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.