Shield Two Cents Value 1864-73

MS (Mint State) Shield Two Cent

Date	Mintage	G	F	VF	EF	AU	MS63
1864 Small Motto	19,847,500	$125	$335	$525	$750	$995	$2100
1864 Large Motto	Inc. above	$20	$30	$35	$50	$85	$165
1865	13,640,000	$19	$30	$35	$45	$95	$180
1866	3,177,000	$20	$30	$37	$53	$120	$215
1867	2,938,750	$20	$30	$35	$60	$90	$170
1867 Double Die Obverse	Inc. above			$165	$525	$625	$2360
1868	2,803,750	$25	$40	$50	$55	$150	$224
1869	1,546,000	$26	$45	$60	$70	$175	$225
1870	861,250	$32	$50	$75	$95	$220	$400
1871	721,250	$35	$60	$85	$135	$220	$390
1872	65,000	$290	$650	$790	$1020	$1868	$3070
1873 Closed 3, Proof only	Inc. above
1873 Open 3, Proof only	Inc. above						$2000

Shield Two Cents Value Facts:

Date – Mint Rarity:

1864 Small Motto and the 1872 are the rare key dates of this series and the 1864 Small Motto starts at $150 in G4 (Good) and can go as high as $3,000 in MS (Mint State) grades, and there’s also a rarer 1864 Small Motto proof version that can be worth as much as $50,000 and maybe more, depending on the grade.

The 1872 Shield Two Cents value begins at $300 in G4 and reaches as high as $9,000 in MS grades and there’s a proof version of this date and it’s worth near the same value.

The 1873 is proof only and worth $2,000 to $5,000 depending on grade and if it’s the Closed or Open 3 variety.

Grade – Condition:

Shield 2 Cents are extremely rare in mint state (uncirculated) grades and when RD, with BN being the least valuable and RB in the middle of both in value. However you can still buy them for under $1,000 dollars in the lower MS grades except for the key dates and varieties.

Note that when I mention a grade like G4 that means the coin is problem free – never cleaned, not pitted, or damaged in any way. If the coin has a “grainy” appearance or seems to have tiny holes, or scratches, or looks “pinkish” then it’s a problem coin and will sell for less than the values listed.

You also have three conditional factors that determine the value of a Shield Two Cents and they are: Red (RD), RB (Red-Brown), BN (Brown). A RD coin is going to have at least 90% original luster as struck by the mint and is the most valuable condition. The luster conditions only apply to mint state coins so any circulated coin will be designated BN.

Varieties:

1867 Doubled Die Obverse (DDO) is the most recognized variety and it’s valued from $145 in G4 to $7,500 in MS65, but look for other dates with doubled dies.