Indian Head Cents: Exploring America’s Copper Coinage Legacy

The Indian head cent, or Indian head penny, was an American one-cent coin struck for circulation in two compositions at different times. The circulated Indian head pennies were minted from 1859 to 1909.

Many coin collectors list the Indian head one-cent coin among the top ten most beautiful US coins. Plus, the Indian head cent lasted over 50 years, unlike many coins of its time, with only one minor redesign.

In that time, the Indian head cent saw monumental eras in American history — from westward expansion to the Civil War to the Reconstruction Era.

Today, we here at Coins Auctioned have gathered our years of expertise to break down all the history, designs, and values of Indian head cent coins.

Pictured above: Obverse & reverse of 1859 (Type I) Indian Head cent | Image credit:  National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History; Public domain

Historical Background

The US Mint issued Indian head cents for circulation from 1859 to 1909.

The history of the Indian Head penny is intrinsically tied to the history of early American copper coins — namely, the large cent and small cent.

Need for New Cent Design

The Indian head cent’s story starts in 1858, when the US Mint ended the large cent series, replacing it with “small cents” containing only 88 (not 100) percent copper.

The first small cent was the Flying Eagle, struck from 1857 to 1858. Unfortunately, the design’s elements were hard to strike well on the new copper-nickel planchets, so the mint decided to redesign the coin.

Mint Engraver James B. Longacre, who’d designed the Flying Eagle, came up with alternatives. One obverse option was the Indian head, with four reverse wreath options.

Mint Director James Ross Snowden chose the Indian head obverse and laurel wreath reverse.

News of the coin spread and various collectors wrote Snowden requesting the 1858 pattern coins.

In 1860, Snowden changed the Indian head penny’s reverse design, adding a union shield and changing from a laurel to oak wreath.

Pictured above: Obverse & reverse of Civil War merchant token (Hart's Arcade Store Card) | Image credit: Cholmes75, CC-BY-SA-3.0

Second Redesign & Civil War Economy

When the Civil War started in 1861, the American economy was in disarray. Hoarding meant silver coins were gone by 1862, and copper-nickel cents were the only coins still circulating.

Production and usage of copper-nickel cents skyrocketed, along with their premiums. Demand lowered when cent hoarding caused businesses to start using privately minted, often bronze merchant tokens.

Given these tokens’ widespread acceptance, Congress considered making the cent bronze. Moreover, the mint was quickly running out of nickel by 1864.

So, President Abraham Lincoln approved the Coinage Act of 1864, making the one-cent coin bronze and base-metal coins officially legal tender.

Large-scale bronze cent production helped resolve the cent shortage.

Post-War Changes

Popularity and production of bronze Indian head cents leveled off after the Civil War. It briefly increased again in the 1880s right before the three-cent coin ended in 1890.

The only times Indian head cents had low mintages were the late 1880s (none minted from February 1885 to late 1886) and the Panic of 1893.

In 1906, Congress expanded Indian head cent production to the San Francisco Mint, which minted the pennies in 1908 and 1909.

Pictured above: Obverse & reverse of 1860 (Type II) Indian Head cent | Image credit: National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History; Public domain

Specifications & Types

The general specs of Indian head cents:

• Weight: 4.67 g (1859-1864); 3.11 g (1864-1909)

• Diameter: 19.05 mm

• Thickness: 2.33 mm (1859-1864); 1.55 mm (1864-1909)

• Composition: Copper-nickel alloy - 88 percent copper, 12 percent nickel (1859-1864); Bronze alloy - 95 percent copper, 5 percent zinc & tin (1864-1909)

The coin’s Flying Eagle predecessor was the first copper-nickel US coin. The alloy looked brighter, lending the nickname “Nicks” or “White cents” for early copper-nickel pennies.

Given their larger diameter and height, 1859 to mid-1864 cents are sometimes nicknamed “fatty” pennies.

The cent's edges of Indian head cents are plain. Each side has denticles — small, tooth-like borders around the rim.

Additionally, there were three types of Indian Head pennies, differing by design or composition:

1. Type I (1859): Copper-nickel composition; Nicknamed “No Shield” type

2. Type II (1860-1864): Same composition & obverse design but different reverse; Nicknamed Copper-Nickel or “Copper” type

3. Type III (1864-1909): Bronze composition; Same design as first types but smaller diameter & thickness

Note: Some collectors refer to the types by composition, only listing Type I (1859-1864) and Type II (1864-1909).

Curious about those designs? Let’s discuss.

Pictured above: James B. Longacre's sketch for the Indian Head cent, circa 1858 | Image credit: Scanned from Cornelius Vermeule's Numismatic Art in America (1971), where it's credited to Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Public domain

Design and Symbolism

The design of Indian head cents is emblematic of its time.

Lady Liberty, symbolizing freedom & enlightenment, had been on coins for decades. But this was the first time she wore a Native American headdress.

The American “westward expansion” happened from 1803 to 1890, where the country broadened to the west, taking over Native American territories in the name of “Manifest Destiny.”

According to Longacre in 1858, the “feathered tiara” was “characteristic of the primitive races of our hemisphere.”

Longacre also argued that the headdress was an “emblem of America as a proper and well defined portion of our national inheritance.”

A similar depiction of Liberty appeared on the 1907-1908 gold eagles and Longacre’s 1854-1899 three-cent coin design.

However, more respectful depictions are seen on 1913-1938 buffalo nickels and 1926 Oregon Trail Memorial half dollars.

On the reverse, the wreath was a classic element representing triumph & unity.

The union shield and arrows reflected the nation’s status approaching the Civil War, added in 1860 to give the design a “more National character” according to Snowden.

Pictured above: Comparison of "Rounded Bust" vs "Pointed Bust" on obverses of two 1860 Indian Head cents | Image credit: PCGS CoinFacts via Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc.; Free use

Obverse Design

The obverse of the Indian head penny features a bust of Lady Liberty facing left. She wears a pearl necklace and Native American feathered headdress, which has a band inscribed “LIBERTY” and flowing ribbons.

“UNITED STATES” and “OF AMERICA” inscriptions encircle Liberty. The mintage year is at the bottom.

Like Longacre’s gold double eagle obverse, the face of Liberty is inspired by the 2nd-century Doidalsa sculpture Crouching Venus.

Throughout 1859 and some of 1860, the cutoff of Liberty’s bust is pointed — the “Pointed Bust” design. This was changed during 1860 to a rounded cutoff — the “Rounded Bust” or “Broad Bust” design.

Longacre added his initial “L” to the ribbon in Liberty’s hair (near the last feather, visible in the photo below) in 1864, though some rarer 1863-dated pennies also have it.

In 1886, the mint adjusted the “AMERICA” position, resulting in two 1886 varieties:

1. Variety 1: Lowest feather in headdress points between “I” and “C” in “AMERICA”

2. Variety 2: Lowest feather points between “C” and “A”

Pictured above: Comparison of Variety 1 vs Variety 2 obverse on two 1886 Indian Head cents | Image credit: PCGS CoinFacts, Free use

Reverse Design

The Indian head penny’s reverse changed three times: 1859, 1860, and 1864. All share a wreath encircling the inscription “ONE CENT” but differ slightly:

• Type I (1859): Plain laurel wreath tied at bottom with ribbon

• Type II (1860-1864): Union shield at top separating ends of fancier, wider oak wreath tied at bottom with ribbon holding 3 arrows; Fuller “ONE CENT” letters

• Type III (1864-1909): Same as Type II but “S” mint mark below wreath on 1908-S & 1909-S issues

But where were Indian head pennies made?

Pictured above: Reverse of 1908-S Indian head cent with "S" mint mark below wreath | Image credit: PCGS CoinFacts, Free use

Minting and Production

In the coin’s entire series from 1859 to 1909, the total Indian head penny mintage was almost 1.85 billion.

Nearly all were struck at the Philadelphia Mint — 99.92 percent, to be exact. They’re referenced by their year and “P” (e.g. 1872-P) but have no mint marks.

Only two issues — both of Type III — were struck at the San Francisco Mint for a total of 1,424,000. Pennies from San Francisco have an “S” mint mark. They’re similarly referenced with their year and “S” (e.g. 1909-S).

The highest mintage issue across all years of the Indian head penny was 1907-P at over 108 million, followed by 1906-P at over 96 million.

The lowest mintage issue was also the last: 1909-S at only 309,000.

Collecting and Grading

With historical value, Indian head cents will always sell for more than their 1-cent face value.

But the exact value of an Indian head penny is dependent on:

• Variety: Business strikes (circulated varieties) are most abundant, but rarity and value increases for proofs, cameo proofs, and deep cameo proofs.

• Rarity: Low-mintage issues (fewer coins were minted) or issues with fewer survivors command higher prices.

• Mint Errors: Unintentional errors, especially rare types, are almost always valuable.

• Demand: Market value fluctuates with the fluctuating popularity of Indian head cents, or particular Indian head cent issues.

• Condition: An Indian head penny that’s well-preserved is usually much more valuable than one in poor condition. Certain issues are harder to find in good condition, making high-graded specimens in these issues even more valuable.

Condition is typically given as a grade by a professional third-party service like Professional Coin Grading Services (PCGS) or Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC).

Pictured above: Obverse & reverse of 1909-P Indian Head cent graded MS65RD by NGC | Image credit: Brandon Grossardt for the image, Public domain

Grading Indian Head Cents

Different coin grading systems exist, but the general grade meanings are:

1. Uncirculated: Never circulated & properly stored; Looks like it did the day it was minted

2. Mint State (MS): Like Uncirculated but with sub-grades from 60 to 70 for many visible marks to flawless, respectively

3. Proof (PR or PF): Struck as a proof coin; Sub-grades from 60 to 70 just like Mint State; Three subtypes:

   1. Standard Proof: Background (field) isn’t highly reflective

   2. Cameo (CAM): Rarer; Background highly reflective plus a) light to moderate frosting on obverse & reverse, b) not frosted, or c) frosted on only one side

   3. Deep/Ultra Cameo (DCAM or UCAM): Rarest; Background highly reflective plus highly & evenly frosted obverse & reverse

4. About Uncirculated (AU): Very minor wear on high points of design from brief circulation, well-preserved surfaces, near-complete mint luster; Sub-grades from 50 to 58

5. Extremely Fine (EF or XF): Complete details, light wear on high points; Sub-grades 40 & 45

6. Very Fine (VF): Moderate to complete details, wear on high points; Sub-grades 20 to 35

7. Fine (F): 50 percent or less of detail flat, visible to sharp letters & digits; Sub-grades 12 & 15

8. Very Good (VG): Wear throughout, letters & digits soft but readable; Sub-grades 8 & 10

9. Good (G): Outer letters & digits full to slightly worn, slightly worn to sharp rims; Sub-grades 4 & 6

10. About Good (AG-3): Mostly readable letters & digits, worn rims

11. Fair (FR-2): Some visible details, traces of outer letters, flat

12. Poor (PO-1): Only date, mint mark, and year identifiable

The grading also differs slightly for copper-nickel vs bronze Indian head pennies.

Copper-Nickel vs Bronze Grading

The early copper-nickel pennies didn’t strike as distinctly as the later bronze pennies. Therefore, some 1859-1864 pennies may have flatter design elements than their 1864-1909 counterparts but can still grade Uncirculated or Mint-State.

Another difference: composition & color. The nickel in Type I and II cents imparts a silvery tone, while the bronze Type III cents are more orange.

The higher copper content in Type III bronze Indian head cents makes them prone to oxidizing, so these have another grading designation for color:

• Red (RD): Most well-preserved; MS60 or higher with 95 percent or more of original red color

• Red-Brown (RB): Somewhat well-preserved; MS60 or higher with 5 to 95 percent of original red color

• Brown (BN): Least well-preserved; Less than 5 percent of original red color

Pictured above: Obverse & reverse of 1877-P (key date) graded MS66+BN by PCGS | Image credit: PCGS CoinFacts, Free use

Key Dates and Varieties

Collectors often seek out rare varieties and “key dates” — Indian head cents that are hard to find, often because they’re from a low-mintage or low-surviving issue.

Numismatists building a set may also pay more for certain varieties or error coins.

Key Dates

Key dates for circulated Indian head cents are:

• 1859-P: First issue; Worth $20 to $21,500

• 1877-P: Second lowest mintage in series & one of two issues with mintage under 1 million; Worth $650 to $149,500

• 1908-S: Third lowest mintage & first from San Francisco; Worth $72 up to $32,500

• 1909-S: Lowest mintage & last issue of series; Worth $2 up to $97,750

Because coin collecting wasn’t as well-established yet, the 1877-P Indian head cents have fewer survivors than the 1909-S issue, particularly survivors in good condition.

In fact, many numismatists, like PCGS Price Guide Editor Jaime Hernandez, claim the 1877-P Indian head penny is “unquestionably the most desirable coin in the entire circulation strike Indian Cent series.”

For non-circulated issues, 1858 pattern Indian head cents are extremely rare & valuable, particularly the 10 known “narrow bust” types.

Additionally, of the two types minted in 1864, the copper-nickel Type II cents sell for around 30 percent more than the bronze Type III cents.

Pictured above: Obverse & reverse of 1897 DCAM (proof key date) graded PR67+DCAM by PCGS | Image credit: PCGS CoinFacts, Free use

Proof Varieties

Although proof varieties were minted every year of the series, they were struck in limited quantities — on average, around 2,000 per year.

The most valuable Indian head cent proofs are:

• 1864 L on Ribbon: Only 30-35 known, worth $15,000 to $175,000

• 1864 CAM: Worth $600 to $37,500

• 1897 CAM: Worth $450 to $45,000

• 1902 CAM: Worth $750 to $50,000

• 1877 RD: Worth $3,150 to $62,500

• 1902 RD: Worth $325 to $41,500

• 1903 RD: Worth $175 to $42,500

• 1897 DCAM: $12,500 to $110,000

Pictured above:  Obverse of 1864-L or L on Ribbon variety| Image credit: Hewittn, CC-BY-SA-3.0

Circulated Varieties

With over 50 years in circulation, there were plenty of notable Indian head penny varieties:

• 1886 Variety 1 & Variety 2: Both rare but Variety 2 had much lower mintage; Variety 1 worth $12 to $65,000; Variety 2 worth $35 to $22,500

• 1870-1872 Shallow N vs Bold N: Letter “N”s in “ONE CENT” sinking vs sharp with horn-shaped serifs; Most valuable is 1870 Shallow N, worth up to $27,500

• 1865 Plain 5 vs Fancy 5: Top of “5” straight vs curvy; Both rare; Fancy 5 worth $16 to $24,000; Plain 5 worth $20 to $29,500

• 1873 Closed vs Open 3: Digit “3” in year resembles “8” vs doesn’t; Closed 3 is rarer; Closed 3 worth $40 to $70,000; Open 3 worth $40 to $16,000

• 1875 Dot on N: Raised dot on “N” in “ONE” on reverse, allegedly placed to catch a mint employee stealing coins; Worth $75 to $6,000

• 1864-L or L on Ribbon: First issue with “L” initial; Rare, worth $75 to $81,500

• 1864 Polished Die: Circulated strike with prominent vertical polishing lines on Liberty’s ear; Rare; Worth $100 to $3,600

• 1860 Pointed vs Rounded Bust: Pointed Bust much rarer, worth $25 up to $45,000

Pictured above: Closeup of 1894/1894 doubled date error on Indian Head cent | Image credit: PCGS CoinFacts, Free use

PCGS MS65+RB

Errors

Like many early American coins, Indian head cents came with many mint errors.

Some errors are more common. A repunched date (RPD) is known in 26 circulated issues (and one proof issue), a misplaced date (MPD) is known in 16 issues, and a double-die obverse (DDO) is known in 12 issues.

Of these, the most valuable are:

• RPD: 1869 worth $130 to $60,000; 1897 worth $40 to $50,000

• MPD: 1897 “1 in Neck” subtype worth $70 to $5,000

• DDO: 1873 “Doubled Liberty” subtype worth $250 to $70,150

Other less common Indian head cent errors are:

• Overdate: Most valuable is 1888/87 worth $2,000 to $90,150

• Double Die Reverse (DDR): Most valuable is 1865 worth $70 to $9,000

• Triple Die Obverse (TDO): Only known on 1890 issue, worth $15 to $1,750

• Quadruple Die Obverse (QDO): Only known on 1890 issue, worth $3,000 or more

• Repunched Mint Mark (RPM): Only known on 1908-S issue, worth $95 to $1,000

• Die Gouge: Most valuable is 1902 “Pick Axe” subtype worth $35 to $2,350

• Doubled Date: Most valuable is 1894/1894 worth $80 to $32,500

Additional known errors include heavy die scratches, misaligned die clash, die dots, and die file marks.

From errors to varieties to other rarities, there are plenty of rare Indian head cents to look out for!

Pictured above: Obverse of 1906 Indian head cent in hand | Image credit: Matt Green, Flickr, CC-BY-SA-2.0

Save an Iconic Piece of 19th Century America with an Indian Head Cent!

Despite the Indian head cent’s small size and face value, it made a huge impact. This iconic coin reflected key aspects of American history like “Manifest Destiny” and the Civil War.

The Indian head cent’s iconic design and vast array of varieties — with varying price points for beginners or seasoned collectors — make it an accessible and excellent addition to your coin collection.

Buy Indian head cent coins today!