Shield Nickels

We’ve had a look at some of the smaller denominations of United States coinage in these Bargain Collector columns but thus far have not looked at the Shield nickels. These first nickel 5-cent pieces came out of the gate in 1866 and kept doing so until 1883, when they were replaced by the Liberty Head design. There are plenty of years within this stretch of time where the mintages are very high, and some that are extremely low. But let’s determine if there might be a few bargains amidst all these peaks and valleys.

First, as we