Indian Cent (1859-1909)

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Catalog

Step 3 Find the coin that you would like to add to your inventory and click the Add to Inventory link to open a new window to add your coin.

After adding your coin(s), refresh the page to see what coins you have in the set.

Collect

Indian Head cents are another great coin to collect. Although not as common as the Wheat Penny, you can still obtain many indian head cents fairly easily and without breaking the bank.

The "Indian" on the obverse is actually a depiction of Liberty wearing an Indian headdress. The depiction looks a lot like an Indian, and that's where the name "Indian Head" cent comes from.

www.indianheads.org is a great site dedicated to providing information about this coin series.

Eagle Eye Rare Coins is another great place to go and learn more about, and purchase small cents.

History

The Indian Head one-cent coin was produced by the United States Mint from 1859 through 1909. It was designed by James Barton Longacre, the Engraver at the Philadelphia Mint.

The obverse of the coin shows UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, an Indian head facing to the left, wearing a feather bonnet. The word LIBERTY is shown on the band across the bonnet, and shows the production date below.

The coin's reverse side shows ONE CENT within a laurel wreath. In 1860 the reverse design was changed slightly, showing ONE CENT within an oak wreath, with three arrows inserted under the ribbon that binds the two branches of the wreath. Above and between the ends of the branches is the shield of the United States.

The coins that were struck between 1859 and 1864 were composed of 88 percent copper and 12 percent nickel, as required by law. In 1864, the weight of the coins was reduced from 72 grains to the present weight of 48 grains, and the alloy changed to 95 percent copper and 5 percent tin and zinc. Research in 1863 indicated that bronze was an excellent alloy for minor coins, and so the copper-nickel alloy was discontinued. Total production of the Indian Head cent was 1,849,648,000 pieces.

The Director of the Mint, James Ross Snowden, wrote a letter on November 4, 1858, to Secretary of the Treasury Howell Cobb, suggesting that a change be made in the design of the Flying Eagle cent. He pointed out that the relief of that coin was too high, and that the design did not seem too acceptable to the public. Snowden submitted models for a new design, and Secretary Cobb gave his approval to what later became the Indian Head Cent.

According to records at the United States Mint, the design of the Indian Head cent became official on January 1, 1859, and was first released into circulation early that year. When the coin was first produced, Longacre's initials did not appear on the coin, but beginning in 1864, a small "L" was added.

There is a popular rumor about the design of this coin, which states that Mr. Longacre used his daughter as his model for the Indian likeness on the cent. Unfortunately, this information has not been authenticated in United States Mint files.

Initially, the production of the five-cent nickel and the one-cent bronze coin was limited by law to the Philadelphia Mint. An Act of Congress passed on April 24, 1906, provided for the making of these denominations at other Mint facilities.

The manufacture of the Indian Head cent at the San Francisco Mint in November 1908 marked the first time this denomination of coins was minted outside of Philadelphia. One-cent coin production did not begin at the Denver Mint until 1911.

Information from the US Treasury education page

Check out these other resources for more info.

Click Here - Coinfacts page for the Indian Head Cent

Specs

Indian Head coins from 1859 to 1864
Sculptor Obverse: James Barton Longacre	Sculptor Reverse: James Barton Longacre
Weight: 72 grains (4.67 g)	Diameter: 19mm
Thickness:	Composition: 88% copper, 12% nickel

Indian Head coins from 1864 to 1909
Sculptor Obverse: James Barton Longacre	Sculptor Reverse: James Barton Longacre
Weight: 48 grains (3.11g)	Diameter: 19mm
Thickness:	Composition: 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc (bronze)

Mints

All Indian Head cents from 1859 to 1864 were minted in Philadelphia.

Indian Head cents minted from 1864 to 1909 were minted at both Philadelphia and San Francisco, but don't indicate mints on the coin. The exception is in 1908 and 1909 there was an S Mintmark for San Francisco on the reverse of the coin centered under the wreath.

What's it worth?

So what's my coin worth?

Here are a few of my favorite free guides for estimating the value of your Peace Dollar.

Click Here - Numismedia Fair Market Value page for Good to MS60 Indian Head Cents. This guide is the FMV for NGC graded coins.
Click Here - Numismedia Fair Market Value page for MS61 to MS70 Indian Head Cents. This guide is the FMV for NGC graded coins.
Click Here - PCGS Indian Head Cents Price Guide. This guide is the guide for PCGS graded coins

Click the sliders below for more information on how to estimate the value of your coins.

Determine what you have

Coin type(Cent), Coin Set(Indian Head Cent), Year(1892), Mintmark(D)
If you don't know what coin you have, try using the coin catalog to find a picture.
If you have an Indian Head cent, go to the next step and grade your coin. If not, find your coin and use that grade guide
Keep in mind any errors or varieties for your coin when looking for the value. You never know, you might have a rare find.

Determine the Grade of your Indian Head Cent

The grade of your coin is probably the most important aspect in valuating your coin. It can also be the most subjective.

Click Here for an excellent grade guide for Indian Cents prepared by Rick Snow at Eagle Eye Rare Coins

What Value do you want?

Now that you understand what coin you have, and an approximate grade for the coin, ask yourself why you want the value.

I want to sell it - If you want to sell your Indian Head cent, understand that dealers won't likely give you full red book or full graded price for the coin. They need to make a profit too. EBay is always a good option, but you may not get as much as the power sellers with thousands of positive reviews. Be realistic about how much you will get for selling the coin, and use the price guides as good references.
I want to buy it - Arm yourself with as much information as you can. Just like above, the dealers aren't going to pay full red book for the coin, so there may just be some wiggle room. The key is to know what you want, and understand roughly how much it should go for. If you find a coin that you just have to have, this may help you from paying too much for it.
Insurance - If you are looking at the value of the coin for insurance, you may want to use these guide values or get a professional appraisal from a dealer. It's important to note that you need to insure for what it will cost to replace the coin. That is likely closer to Red Book, Numismedia, or PCGS price guides.

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