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1883 Shield Nickel obverse
1883 Shield Nickel reverse
obverse · reverse inset
Shield Nickel· 1866–1883#4 lowest mintage of 7 key dates

1883 Shield Nickel Value

1883 Shield nickel value guide -- the final year of the series, mintage, and grade-by-grade prices.

Worn to gem uncirculated
$38to$281

Condition drives the price — full breakdown below.

Year
1883
Mint
Philadelphia (no mark)
Composition
75% copper, 25% nickel
Mintage
1,456,919
Buyer protection
Funds released after delivery
Rated sellers
Metal Points earned on delivered orders
Make an offer
Negotiate directly with sellers
Insured shipping
Tracked, with combined shipping

Value by condition

GradeEstimated value
Good$38
Very Good$43
Fine$50
Very Fine$56
Extra Fine$92
About Unc.$132
Unc. (MS-60)$186
Choice Unc. (MS-63)$281
Priced fromUSA Coin BookRetrieved Aug 21, 2026

How rare is it?

1,456,919 struck — against the other key dates in the Shield Nickel series.

1877900
187929,100
1871561,000
18831,456,919
18672,019,000
186614,742,500
186728,890,500

Bars are scaled to keep the smallest mintages visible; the exact figure is printed on every row. Mintage is coins struck, not coins surviving — melting and circulation wear thin those numbers further.

Why it matters

01

Final year of the Shield Nickel series -- the Liberty Head "V" nickel replaced the design in 1883.

02

One of the more affordable dates in low grades despite being the final year, thanks to a 1.46 million mintage larger than several mid-1870s and 1879-1881 issues.

More Shield Nickel listings

Other dates and varieties in this series

View all

Buying a 1883 Shield Nickel

What to check before you pay, specific to this date and its 1,456,919-coin mintage.

  1. Read the grade before the price

    The same date runs from about $38 worn to $281 at the top of the scale — a 7× spread. Nearly all of that gap is condition, not the date on the coin, so work out where an example sits on the table above before deciding whether its asking price is fair.

  2. Certified or raw both work here

    Grading fees would eat much of what this coin is worth, so raw examples are normal here and nothing to be wary of. Judge it on clear photos of both sides and the seller's track record instead.

  3. Compare sellers, not price guides

    Every Shield Nickel listed here is priced by an individual seller, so the same coin in the same grade can differ by a wide margin on any given day. Sort by price, check Metal Points and order history for a sense of the seller's record, and message them if the photos don't show enough to grade confidently.

Common questions

About the 1883 Shield Nickel

How much is a 1883 Shield Nickel worth?

Value depends heavily on condition. A well-worn example brings closer to $38, while an uncirculated one can reach $281 or more.

What makes the 1883 Shield Nickel valuable?

Final year of the Shield Nickel series -- the Liberty Head "V" nickel replaced the design in 1883.

Should I get it professionally graded?

For anything you believe is a key date or an error, professional grading protects both buyer and seller by settling condition and authenticity before money changes hands.

Other Shield Nickel key dates

The rest of the series, with what each is worth at the top of the grade scale.


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