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The 1868 Shield Nickel is extremely common as the mintage is very high (almost 29 million) making it the second most common coin in the series and the ideal type coin. Easily accessible in all grades until MS67 where it becomes quite scarce. This issue is known to be well struck but suffers from problems with die cracks.
Obverse Description
A shield flanked on the left and right by leaves topped with a cross with arrows positioned behind at the bottom so the arrow heads and shanks protrude at the sides. The motto IN GOD WE TRUST appears at the top periphery with the date positioned at the bottom center.
Reverse Description
A large numeral 5 surrounded by 13 stars centered in the design with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA * CENTS around the periphery.
Book Reference
Key to Collecting: This is a very plentiful date due to its high mintage. Gem Mint State coins are scarce, however, as few were saved. This high-mintage issue is spiced with many interesting die varieties, a veritable wonderland of delights! Proofs of this year and the next are often especially deeply mirrored.
CIRCULATION STRIKES:
Characteristics and Appearance: Often with slight areas of light details, especially on the horizontal shield stripes and a few of the star centers. Luster varies but is usually good. Many die pairs were used, causing many variations. Usually seen with the normal reverse (illustrated above), but a few have the Reverse of 1868. 2900 (Deep Cameo)———— 6,250—
VARIETIES:
The Mint seems to have gone wild with erratic die punching this year, as there are many different repunchings, errors, and the like. The Fivaz-Stanton text devotes 16 pages to this date alone! There are multiple varieties of doubled dies and repunched dates. The CONECA files, maintained by Ken Hill, describe about 60 doubled dies for 1868-dated nickels. FS-102, F-111, is a tripled-die obverse, one of only three in the Shield nickel series.5 The following are selected favorites of mine among the varieties of this year.
Repunched Date—This year offers a nice selection, the most dramatic being FS-310, F-20, with the first date placed south about 50% offregister.
Misplaced Date—FS-312; F-102, Flynn MPD-003. Ample traces of the 1 from a different date punch, much smaller than that used on the 1868 nickel, are seen protruding from the left side of the ball above the date. URS-4.
Scribe Mark—FS-401, F-56. A raised ring or circle line is mostly seen at the shield border. Someone scribed a circle, slightly o!-center to the left, on a working die for unknown reasons.6 The ring is most prominent as an arc above and to the upper left of the shield. As icing on the cake, this is also one of numerous missing-leaf varieties (see below).
Reverse of 1868—Reverse die E was used only this year and only for a limited time. Among 1868 nickels, this scarce style can be quickly identified by stars that point under the left serif of S in STATES and at the interior of M in AMERICA (at the right edge of its left upright). While the Reverse of 1868 is seen much less often than the normal reverse, there are enough around to supply Shield nickel enthusiasts seeking an example.7 The working hub, with the features in relief, failed at an early date, as certain letters became broken. Working dies made from that working hub display progressive deterioration. Three pages are devoted to the Shield reverse dies of 1868 in the FivazStanton work, based on the efforts of Dennis Paulsen.
Missing Leaf—No outside leaf on the second group at right; three leaves instead of four. Ed Fletcher lists 14 missing-leaf varieties, to which Ken Hill has added five more. Shown is FS-401, F-56. This is also the above-listed Scribe Mark variety (see for pricing).
Catalog Information
GSID:
2871
Designer:
James B. Longacre
Obverse Designer:
James B. Longacre
Obverse Lettering:
IN GOD WE TRUST, 1868
Reverse Designer:
James B. Longacre
Reverse Lettering:
5, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, CENTS
Weight (gr):
5 gr
Weight (oz):
0.1608 oz
Strike Type:
Business
Diameter:
20.5
Coin Shape:
Round
Edge:
Plain
Coin Date:
1868
Denomination:
5c
Designation:
MS
Mint Location:
Philadelphia
Mintage:
28,817,000
Coinage Type:
Shield nickel
Coinage Years:
1867-1883
Composition:
75% copper; 25% nickel
PCGS #:
3795
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Body: Referring page: http://dev.greysheet.com/prices/item/1868-5c-shield-nickel/gsid/2871 GSID: 2871 Title: 1868 5c MS
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Coin Value History
1868 5c MS
Value By Grade
1868 5c MS
CPG (retail) values
Currency
Grade Range
Grading Authority
Sort by
Pricing
Values
Greysheet & CPG® Values
| Grade | CAC | CPG Value (Retail) | Greysheet Price (Wholesale) |
|---|---|---|---|
| MS67 |
|
$12,000 | $1,234 |
| MS67 | - | $10,000 | $1,234 |
| MS66 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| MS66 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| MS65 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| MS65 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| MS64 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| MS64 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| MS63 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| MS63 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| MS62 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| MS62 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| MS61 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| MS61 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| MS60 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| MS60 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| AU58 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| AU58 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| AU55 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| AU55 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| AU53 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| AU53 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| AU50 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| AU50 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| XF45 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| XF45 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| XF40 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| XF40 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| VF35 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| VF35 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| VF30 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| VF30 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| VF25 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| VF25 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| VF20 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| VF20 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| F15 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| F15 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| F12 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| F12 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| VG10 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| VG10 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| VG8 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| VG8 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| G6 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| G6 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| G4 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| G4 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| AG3 |
|
$1,234 | $1,234 |
| AG3 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
Shield Nickel 5c Rays, 1866-1867 MS [Type]
![Shield Nickel 5c Rays, 1866-1867 MS [Type]](https://images.greysheet.com/ctc/catalog/raysMS.jpg?MaxWidth=200&Mode=Pad&Scale=UpscaleCanvas&format=webp)
Worth: $15 – $36,000
1866 5c Rays MS
Worth: $15 – $36,000
1866/1866 5c Rays, Repunched Date MS
Worth: $150 – $14,400
1867 5c Rays MS
Worth: $17 – $36,000
Shield Nickel 5c No Rays, 1867-1883 MS [Type]
![Shield Nickel 5c No Rays, 1867-1883 MS [Type]](https://images.greysheet.com/ctc/catalog/noRaysMS.jpg?MaxWidth=200&Mode=Pad&Scale=UpscaleCanvas&format=webp)
Worth: $13 – $2,592
1867 5c No Rays MS
Worth: $13 – $10,800
1869 5c MS
Worth: $13 – $6,000
1870 5c MS
Worth: $15 – $2,200
1871 5c MS
Worth: $45 – $12,600
1872 5c MS
Worth: $25 – $12,600
1873 5c Closed 3 MS
Worth: $30 – $4,800
1873 5c Open 3 MS
Worth: $18 – $3,250
1873 5c Large/Small 3, Open 3, FS-1301 MS
Worth: $6,000 – $19,000
1873 5c Doubled Die Obverse MS
Worth: $70 – $3,000
1874 5c MS
Worth: $19 – $2,640
1868 5C AU58 PCGS. CDN: $110 Whsle. Bid for NGC/PCGS AU58. Mintage 28,800,000. ...
$149
1868 5C MS66 NGC. Housed in a Generation 5 Fatty holder. NGC Census: (40/4). CDN: $1,500 Whsle. Bid for NGC/PCGS MS66. Mint...
$1,680
1868 5C MS64 NGC. CDN: $300 Whsle. Bid for NGC/PCGS MS64. Mintage 28,800,000. ...
$336
1868 5C MS67 PCGS....
$9,000
1868 5C MS63 NGC. CDN: $200 Whsle. Bid for NGC/PCGS MS63. Mintage 28,800,000. ...
$264
1868 5C -- Cleaned -- CACG Details. AU. Mintage 28,800,000. ...
$94
1868 5C MS65 PCGS. Housed in a Generation 3.1 green label holder. PCGS Population: (93/40). NGC Census: (130/45). CDN: $660...
$960
1868 5C Shield MS62 ANACS. Breen-2475. Housed in a Small-sized holder. Mintage 28,800,000....
$198
1868 5C XF45 PCGS. CAC. CAC Population: (1/115). Mintage 28,800,000. ...
$129
1868 5C AU55 NGC. NGC Census: (55/833). PCGS Population: (133/859). CDN: $95 Whsle. Bid for NGC/PCGS AU55. Mintage 28,800,0...
$103
1868 5C -- Obverse Cleaned -- ANACS. Unc Details Net AU55. Mintage 28,800,000....
$139
1868 5C AU53 PCGS. PCGS Population: (56/970). NGC Census: (24/865). CDN: $88 Whsle. Bid for NGC/PCGS AU53. Mintage 28,800,0...
$85
1868 5C Shield Nickel -- Struck 10% Off Center -- MS61 NGC. From The David S. Woloch Collection. ...
$1,320
1868 5C Repunched Date, Reverse of 1867, VF35 NGC. VP-029. NGC Census: (0/0). PCGS Population: (0/0). VF35. Mintage 28,800,...
$89
1868 5C Reverse of 1868, FS-901, -- Cleaning -- PCGS. XF Details. (FS-002.94). PCGS Population: (2/23). NGC Census: (0/0)....
$65
1868 5c PCGS VF Details (Cleaned)
$30
1868 5C Shield Five Cent, Major Die Break -- Cleaned, Corroded -- ANACS. Good 6 Details. ...
$20
1868 5C Repunched Date, FS-301 -- Corroded -- ANACS. VF30 Details. From The Parcfeld Collection. ...
$32
1868 5C Reverse of 68, FS-905 -- Damaged -- ANACS. AG3 Details. From The Parcfeld Collection. ...
$15
1868 5C Reverse of 1868, FS-906 VG8 PCGS. PCGS Population (0/0). NGC Census: (0/0). From The Parcfeld Collection. ...
$89
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