Ungraded vs MS66 1866 [RAYS] Shield Nickel: price difference
1866 [RAYS] Shield Nickel value — Ungraded $17 vs MS66 $4270. MS66 sells for 251.18× Ungraded (+25018%). Prices updated July 2026.
Medians of real sold listings per grade, updated July 2026 — how we compute values.
MS66 sells for 251.18× (+25018%) the Ungraded price — a $4,253 difference per coin.
MS62 sells for 32.12× (+3112%) the Ungraded price — a $529 difference per coin.
Should you get this coin graded?
Grading runs about $30 per coin all-in. On 1866 [RAYS] Shield Nickel, the jump from Ungraded to MS66 is worth $4,253 (251.18×) — if your copy grades at the top, that premium can cover the fee. A grade below the top one changes the math, so run your exact numbers first.
Run the grading break-even math →Values are estimates from real sales data — not appraisals or offers. Some links earn JunkPal a commission at no cost to you (disclosure).