1877 Shield Nickel
Base
About This Coin
The 1877 Shield Nickel is a United States nickel from the Shield Nickels 1866-1883 series — 12th of 18 years in the series. In 1877, coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a combined mintage of 510. This represents the lowest annual mintage in the entire series, below the series median of 3.2 million. The obverse features a large Union shield with a motto ribbon and crossed arrows behind it and the reverse displays a large numeral 5 within a circle of stars, without rays. Only proof specimens were struck — no business strikes were produced, making this a proof-only date. Struck in 75% copper, 25% nickel, weighing 5 grams, 20.5 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. Estimated market value across variants is approximately $3.6K. A notable auction result reached $8.6K in PR67 grade at American Numismatic Rarities. Designed by James Barton Longacre.
Value Estimates
Values as of May 2026 — range across all strike types, reflecting typical grades (G-4 through MS-63). Coins in lower or exceptional grades may fall outside this range.