1879 Shield Nickels : 9 Over 8

What This Coin Looks Like (Obverse, Reverse, Mint Mark Location, Special Features, etc.):

The 1879 Shield Nickel had a 9/8 Overdate error. The 1879 date was struck on top of the 1878 date and this caused the 9 to be stamped over a subtle 8. One way to identify this coin is to note parts of the 8 within the 9 as depicted by the arrows in the example image above.

Coin Value Chart: Typical Coin Prices, Values and Worth in USD based on Grade/Condition. Numismatic portion of the values last updated February 2026, precious metal portion of the values is updated live!

Good (G-4)	Very Good (VG-8)	Fine (F-12)	Very Fine (VF-20)	Extremely Fine (EF-40)	About Uncirculated (AU-50)	Uncirculated (MS-60)	Uncirculated (MS-63)	Proof (PR-63)
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	$612

USA Coin Book Estimated Value of 1879 Shield Nickel (9 Over 8 Variety) (Proof Coin) is Worth $612 or more. Click here to Learn How to use Coin Price Charts. Also, click here to Learn About Grading Coins. The Melt Value shown below is how Valuable the Coin's Metal is Worth (bare minimum value of coin). Click here to see the Melt Value of every US Coin.


MELT VALUE: $0.0724