Ungraded vs MS66 1873 Shield Nickel: price difference
1873 Shield Nickel value — Ungraded $22 vs MS66 $3918. MS66 sells for 178.09× Ungraded (+17709%). Prices updated July 2026.
Medians of real sold listings per grade, updated July 2026 — how we compute values.
MS66 sells for 178.09× (+17709%) the Ungraded price — a $3,896 difference per coin.
MS62 sells for 30.73× (+2973%) the Ungraded price — a $654 difference per coin.
Should you get this coin graded?
Grading runs about $30 per coin all-in. On 1873 Shield Nickel, the jump from Ungraded to MS66 is worth $3,896 (178.09×) — 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).