1876 Shield Nickel
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 2,530,000 made
- Mintage
- 2,530,000 (includes proofs)
- Metal
- 75% copper, 25% nickel
- Weight
- 5 g
- Diameter
- 20.5 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is an 1876 Shield Nickel worth?
Age alone gives this coin a small premium, even worn. Sharp details and original surfaces push it higher.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1876 Shield Nickel rare?
- Not by date: 2.5 million were struck. A sharp uncirculated coin or a known variety is what makes one special.
- Is the 1876 Shield Nickel silver?
- No. It's 75% copper, 25% nickel. The only silver nickels are the 1942 to 1945 wartime coins with a large mint mark above Monticello.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1876 Shield Nickel?
- No mint mark. All struck in Philadelphia.
- Which Philadelphia dates near 1876 are scarcer?
- The 1880 at 16,000, the 1879 at 25,900, the 1881 at 68,800, plus 2 more. So the 1876 is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1876 Shield Nickel coins were made?
- 2,530,000.
What to check on your 1876
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Old coins pick up damage over a long life. Look for holes, bends, scratches or signs of cleaning before you judge the grade, because a damaged coin sells for a fraction of a problem-free one.
- Judge the grade under good light. Check the leaves around the shield and the horizontal lines within it. The hard alloy meant weak strikes were common, so sharpness adds value.
The story of the 1876
Philadelphia made 2,530,000 in 1876, up from 2.1 million in 1875. After that, Philadelphia didn't make another until 1879.
No other mint struck it for circulation that year, so every 1876 you find is from Philadelphia.
Across Philadelphia's 17 Shield Nickel issues, the hardest to find is the 1880 with 16,000 made. The 1876 is on the scarcer side of the middle. Within the 1870s it's 4th smallest of 8, between the 1875 (2.1 million) and the 1874 (3.5 million).
Open 3, Closed 3 and the proof only years (1873 to 1878)
The 1873 date punch first had a Closed 3 that looked too much like an 8, so it was replaced by an Open 3 during the year. Both varieties exist. The Closed 3 is scarcer and includes a doubled date. The Panic of 1873 and the lingering surplus of minor coins cut demand. Output fell from 3.5 million in 1874 to between 2 and 2.5 million in 1875 and 1876.
In 1877 and 1878 no nickels were struck for circulation. Only proofs were made, about 900 in 1877 and 2,350 in 1878, which makes these dates key coins for anyone completing the series. Lower grade examples exist because some proofs were spent. Business strikes from 1874 to 1876 are relatively scarce and are usually seen with moderate wear, often with the weak strike typical of the type.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1876
The United States celebrated its centennial. The twenty-cent piece was struck for circulation for the last time. The quarter and half dollar were struck in very large numbers.
How to recognize it
A shield topped by a cross and framed by laurel and arrows fills the obverse, with IN GOD WE TRUST above and the date below. The reverse has a large numeral 5 inside a ring of 13 stars, with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and CENTS around it. Coins from 1866 and early 1867 also have rays between the stars. The hard nickel alloy often left dates and stars weakly struck.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Shield Nickel (1866–1883) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1876 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 2,530,000 (includes proofs) |
| Face value | 5¢ |
| Composition | 75% copper, 25% nickel |
| Weight | 5 grams |
| Diameter | 20.5 mm |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | James B. Longacre |
Mintage: United States nickel mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.