1882 Shield Nickel
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 11,476,600 made
- Mintage
- 11,476,600 (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 1882 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 1882 Shield Nickel rare?
- No. 11 million were made, a typical run for the series. Condition and varieties decide its value, not the date.
- Is the 1882 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 1882 Shield Nickel?
- No mint mark. All struck in Philadelphia.
- Which Philadelphia dates near 1882 are scarcer?
- The 1880 at 16,000, the 1879 at 25,900, the 1881 at 68,800, plus 1 more. So the 1882 is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1882 Shield Nickel coins were made?
- 11,476,600.
What to check on your 1882
- 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 1882
Philadelphia ramped up hard in 1882: 11,476,600 coins, about 167 times the 1881 run. The next year it made 1.5 million (1883).
No other mint struck it for circulation that year, so every 1882 you find is from Philadelphia.
Philadelphia struck the Shield Nickel in 17 issues between 1866 and 1883. By mintage this one lands in the more common half, while the key for that mint is the 1880 (16,000). No Shield Nickel of the 1880s had a bigger run.
More on the 1882
Philadelphia's 11,476,600 Shield nickels of 1882 were struck as the design neared its end. Behind the scenes, Charles Barber was already preparing patterns for a Liberty Head nickel, which replaced the shield partway through 1883. That makes 1882 the last full year of Shield nickel production.
The hard copper-nickel alloy wore out dies quickly, so many 1882 nickels show die cracks around the stars and lettering. These are normal for the date and add little or no value. Philadelphia also struck proofs every year of the series, 1882 included. A coin with deeply mirrored fields and squared rims may be a proof rather than a circulation strike. For a regular 1882, check the leaves and horizontal lines on the shield for wear. Then look at the numeral 5 and the stars on the reverse, which flatten as the coin circulates. A worn example is worth a small premium; uncirculated coins with original luster carry a collector premium, making the 1882 a popular choice for a type set.
Tiny business strikes and the final year (1879 to 1883)
With the glut still in place, business strikes stayed tiny from 1879 to 1881. Only about 25,900 were made in 1879, 16,000 in 1880 and 68,800 in 1881. The 1880 is the rarest business strike of the series. For these years proofs survive in larger numbers than circulation strikes, so worn coins are the real prize. The 1879 includes a proof 9 over 8 overdate.
Demand finally returned in 1882, when 11.5 million nickels were struck. Another 1.5 million came in 1883 before the Liberty Head design took over. The 1883 has a 3 over 2 overdate that is often misattributed, so look for clear traces of the 2 inside the 3. Survivors from 1882 and 1883 are common and often well struck, which makes them good choices for a type coin.
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 | 1882 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 11,476,600 (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.