Rare 1868 Nickel Errors (List & Pictures)
A normal Shield nickel weighs about 5 grams. One 1868 example weighs just 1.97 grams because it was identified as struck on a three-cent nickel blank; a published auction report recorded $1,610.
The 1868 nickel errors below have estimated values of $20–$8,000. Follow the shield and date first, turn the coin over for the back details, then compare its shape and metal.
1. 1868 Nickel An Extra Raised Mark Inside the Shield: Die Gouge Error
A groove cut into a die can leave a raised mark on the coins it makes. A die is the steel tool that stamps the design.
The Shield Nickel Varieties catalog records an 1868 example with such a mark inside the shield. The term die gouge describes damage to the tool, not a cut made in the finished coin.
How to Identify
Use side lighting to determine whether the mark stands above the surface. A cut into the nickel itself is a different finding.
Compare the actual outline with the cataloged shield mark. A crack in a die can also create a raised line, so height alone does not identify a gouge.
Leave the area untouched. Scraping or cleaning around the mark can destroy the surface needed for comparison.
What It’s Worth
$20–$200 is an estimated range for worn through lightly worn examples with a recognizable tool mark. A small feature usually makes a modest contribution to the complete coin’s appeal.
Good photographs and a clear catalog match help more than an elaborate seller description. Heavy wear, corrosion, or scratches still lower the appeal of the coin.
2. 1868 Nickel Extra Number Fragments: Repunched and Misplaced Dates Error
Earlier date-punch impressions can leave strokes above or below the final 1868 date. Other examples show part of a misplaced 1 near the round ornament at the bottom of the shield.
The punch was applied to the die before striking. Different punch positions produced different patterns, rather than one extra-date shape shared by every 1868 nickel.
How to Identify
Start with a photograph of all four digits. Then widen the view to include the shield ornament, where misplaced parts of a 1 can appear.
Follow each extra curve or upright stroke and compare it with the numeral it is said to repeat. An isolated line near the ornament is not enough.
Use a reference for the same pattern. A genuine example need not have extra traces in the same direction as a different 1868 variety.
What It’s Worth
$50–$1,500 is an estimated range for identified ordinary-strike varieties from worn through attractive unworn examples. Bold recognizable digit parts can attract more attention than vague thickening.
Condition and the particular pattern both matter. If the same coin also has doubled back lettering, its features contribute to one whole-coin value.
3. 1868 Nickel Repeated Shield or Letter Edges: Doubled Die Error
Some 1868 nickels show extra outlines around the shield, motto, or small ring above the shield. Separate varieties have doubled lettering on the back.
These repeated shapes began when the design was transferred into the die. The coin could then receive the doubled design in a single strike.
How to Identify
Work on one face and one known pattern at a time. Follow rounded extra contours through connected details instead of treating every thick edge as doubling.
Flat ledges from movement during striking can imitate a second outline. They do not produce the same rounded separation or split ends as a clear doubled design.
One back-lettering example also has date traces below the normal date. Those date traces are a separate feature, and other doubled varieties need not share them.
Two normal back designs were used in 1868. Their intended differences are not errors and should not be counted as doubling.
What It’s Worth
$75–$2,500 is an estimated span for clearly identified varieties across worn and attractive unworn condition. Wide visible separation can improve collector interest.
PCGS records a $685 eBay sale in April 2024 for an 1872 doubled-front Shield nickel graded MS62. That different-year example provides context rather than a price for every 1868 pattern.
4. 1868 Nickel Shield Traces on the Back: Die Clash Error
A faint part of the shield can appear in the open areas on the back. The cataloged 1868 clash records this kind of transferred design.
The dies met without a blank between them and marked one another. Later coins picked up traces of the opposite design along with their normal images.
How to Identify
Put a normal shield image beside a close view of the unwanted back marks. Several connected shapes should fit part of that shield.
Do not expect a complete extra shield. A clash generally leaves fragments, while a full sunken mirror image calls for a different explanation.
Random scratches and corrosion pits can make the background look busy. Count only shapes that support the transferred-design match.
What It’s Worth
$25–$250 is an estimated range for worn through lightly worn examples with recognizable clash traces. Faint lines that are difficult to connect to the shield may add little.
Clearer transferred shapes on original surfaces are easier to appreciate. Polishing the coin afterward does not improve the evidence or its collector appeal.
5. 1868 Nickel The Back Finishes Upside Down: Rotated Dies Error
A coin can show two complete designs but have them at the wrong angle to each other. The reported 1868 example has a half-turn, or 180-degree, rotation.
The owner reported this after receiving a PCGS AU58 grade. The quoted grading result establishes slight wear, while the rotation itself comes from the owner’s account.
How to Identify
Hold the front upright and flip the coin from top to bottom without twisting it sideways. On a normally aligned United States coin, the back finishes upright too.
A 180-degree error would leave the large 5 upside down. Try the same motion with a normal coin first to check your handling.
A continuous video preserves the relationship between the faces. Two separate photographs rotated upright cannot prove the error.
Make sure the coin cannot turn inside a loose holder during the test. Also inspect the edge for a join between altered pieces.
What It’s Worth
$150–$1,800 is an estimated range for a clearly demonstrated half-turn rotation, depending on condition and the complete coin. Reliable evidence of the alignment is essential.
A 1903 Proof Liberty nickel with a 180-degree rotation sold for $1,380 in April 2006. That different design, date, and collector finish do not establish a sale of the reported 1868 coin.
6. 1868 Nickel Raised Cracks or a Rim-Connected Mound: Die Damage Error
Narrow cracks in a die produce raised lines on a coin. When a piece breaks away at the die’s edge, a broader raised patch can form against the rim.
That patch is called a cud. A dealer described another 1868 front with many crack lines as a shattered die, referring to the tool rather than a broken coin.
How to Identify
For a cud, inspect where the raised patch joins the rim and interrupts the design. A rim hit may instead push a fold of finished metal inward.
For a network of cracks, trace continuous raised lines. Sunken scratches crossing the same area are not branches of the die cracks.
A tool defect does not add another piece of metal to the coin. Look for seams or a changed surface that could indicate solder or another addition.
What It’s Worth
$20–$500 is an estimated range from worn minor cracks to clearer rim breaks. Larger visible cuds generally draw more attention than faint short lines.
The heavily worn shattered-front example carried a $95 dealer asking price. It was an offer, not a reported completed sale.
7. 1868 Nickel Peeling Metal or Matching Pieces: Lamination and Split Planchet Error
A weakness inside the blank can allow a surface layer to lift. A deeper separation can leave two pieces of the original coin.
A PCGS VF25 example has front lamination, while a separate 1984 catalog describes an 1868 front split with two pieces. The two records concern different coins.
How to Identify
Leave an attached layer in place. If pieces are already separate, protect them individually and compare their inner textures without forcing them together.
A natural separation can leave rough matching surfaces. Smooth tool tracks or a machined recess suggest cutting rather than an original metal weakness.
The VF25 lamination listing also identifies the Reverse of 1868. That back-design label does not prove a metal flaw on another example.
What It’s Worth
$50–$1,000 spans estimated values from small peeling flaws to complete matching split pieces. The size of the separation and the surviving design influence the comparison.
The two-piece coin was offered at $30 in 1984. That historical asking price is not a present-day value, and a matching pair’s estimate covers both pieces together.
8. 1868 Nickel Untouched Metal Beside a Cropped Design: Off-Center Strike Error
A blank placed too far to one side receives only part of the design. The opposite area stays bare because the dies miss it.
A documented 1868 example is 20% off center. Its PCGS holder also notes light wear and graffiti, meaning marks deliberately scratched into the coin.
How to Identify
Compare the blank and struck areas on both faces. Their boundaries should fit the same misplaced disk.
A shift on only one side may be a die-alignment problem instead. Later grinding can also remove design but leaves a worked surface.
The scratches on the documented coin are separate from its genuine original error. Keep condition damage apart from the strike boundary when comparing photographs.
What It’s Worth
$250–$3,000 is an estimated range for dated examples across different shifts and conditions. A readable date and undamaged original surfaces can improve the appeal.
Mint Error News reports a $1,020 Heritage result in January 2018 for the 20% off-center coin. Its graffiti damage is part of that specific price comparison.
9. 1868 Nickel A Small Coin Weighing 1.97 Grams: Three-Cent Nickel Blank Error
A blank meant for a three-cent nickel can receive the larger Shield nickel design. The shield and large 5 then compete for less metal than they normally need.
The documented 1868 specimen weighs 1.97 grams. Its NCS AU Details label also notes environmental damage and edge damage.
How to Identify
Weigh a loose candidate and inspect how the design fits the smaller disk. A normal Shield nickel is about 5 grams and 20.5 millimeters across.
The smaller blank can spread during striking, so final width alone cannot identify its original use. Filing can also reduce a coin’s size and weight.
Both denominations use copper-nickel metal. Color therefore cannot distinguish the blanks; the identification needs weight, design fit, edge evidence, and specialist assessment together.
What It’s Worth
$1,000–$8,000 is an estimated range for identified examples, allowing for large differences in condition. The upper end is an estimate for much cleaner, more attractive coins.
A published Heritage auction report records $1,610 for the damaged 1.97-gram specimen. Its original wrong-blank strike and its later condition problems both belong in the comparison.
Conclusion
On an 1868 Shield nickel, the relationship between the designs can be as useful as the shape of a small mark. Shield traces on the back suggest a clash, while an upside-down back requires a fixed-axis rotation check.
The estimated $20–$8,000 range also includes very different metal and blank errors. Match the entire coin, and keep fragile layers or original split pieces protected.
