Ungraded vs MS66 1879 Shield Nickel: price difference
1879 Shield Nickel value — Ungraded $672 vs MS66 $5864. MS66 sells for 8.73× Ungraded (+773%). Prices updated July 2026.
Medians of real sold listings per grade, updated July 2026 — how we compute values.
MS66 sells for 8.73× (+773%) the Ungraded price — a $5,192 difference per coin.
MS66 sells for 3.41× (+241%) the MS62 price — a $4,146 difference per coin.
Should you get this coin graded?
Grading runs about $30 per coin all-in. On 1879 Shield Nickel, the jump from Ungraded to MS66 is worth $5,192 (8.73×) — 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).