1878 Shield Nickel
Base
About This Coin
The 1878 Shield Nickel is a United States nickel from the Shield Nickels 1866-1883 series — 13th of 18 years in the series. In 1878, coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a combined mintage of 2,350. This represents the second-lowest annual mintage in the 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. Another proof-only year with no business strikes, continuing a pattern that would persist through 1880. Struck in 75% copper, 25% nickel, weighing 5 grams, 20.5 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. Struck one year after the 1877 key date, the lowest-mintage regular issue in the series. Estimated market value across variants is approximately $1.4K. A notable auction result reached $4.8K in PR67 grade at Heritage Auctions. 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.