Cent · 1859–1909

Indian Head Cent

Liberty facing left wearing a Native American feathered headdress with LIBERTY on the headband, surrounded by UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and the date. The words ONE CENT inside a wreath — a plain laurel wreath in 1859 only, then an oak wreath with a small shield at the top from 1860 onward.

Designer

James B. Longacre

Diameter

19.05 mm

Edge

Plain

Mint mark

Reverse (back), centered below the wreath — only on 1908-S and 1909-S

Composition

1859–1864: 88% copper, 12% nickel (thick, pale-colored planchet) · 4.67 g

1864–1909: 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc (bronze — the familiar brown penny) · 3.11 g

Did you know? Despite the name, the portrait is not a Native American — it is Liberty wearing a feathered headdress, and legend (probably untrue) says designer James Longacre modeled the face on his daughter Sarah.

Beginner tip: Flip the coin over first: any Indian Head cent with an S below the wreath is an instant keeper, and always check the date for 1877, the king of the series.

Key dates to look for

1877 Indian Head

$450 – $3,500+ depending on wear

The key date of the entire series — well under a million struck and heavily used

1909-S Indian Head

$250 – $800 in circulated grades

Final year and the lowest-mintage S issue (309,000 made)

1908-S Indian Head

$50 – $150 in circulated grades

First cent ever struck outside Philadelphia

1869 Indian Head

$70 – $300 in circulated grades

Scarce early bronze date beginners often overlook

1872 Indian Head

$70 – $350 in circulated grades

One of the toughest dates of the 1870s

Valuable varieties & errors

1864 'L' on Ribbon

scarce

$40 – $250+ in circulated grades

Late in 1864, designer James Longacre added his initial L to the design, so that year comes both with and without it. The 'With L' version was made in much smaller numbers.

How to check: Turn the coin so Liberty faces left and find the ribbon hanging down from the headdress behind her neck. On the scarce version, a small raised letter L sits on that ribbon; rotating the coin 90 degrees clockwise under a light makes it easier to see.

1873 Doubled LIBERTY

rare

$300 – $5,000+ depending on wear

A doubled die gave the word LIBERTY a bold second impression. It is the most dramatic doubled die of the Indian Head series and is listed by all major grading services.

How to check: With a loupe, examine LIBERTY on the headband: on the doubled die every letter shows a clear second outline shifted downward, strongest on LIB. If you only see flat, shelf-like doubling with no separated letters, it is worthless machine doubling instead.

1888/7 Overdate

extreme

$1,000 – $20,000+

An 1887-dated die was repunched with 1888, leaving a trace of the 7 under the last 8. Only a small number have been found, making it a major rarity discovered decades after it was struck.

How to check: Under strong magnification, look at the bottom left inside of the final 8 in the date — the genuine overdate shows a small curved remnant of a 7 there, and most examples also show a die chip among the lower feather tips. This one is rare enough that any candidate should go to a grading service.

Error types found on this series

Doubled Die (Obverse)

The front design shows a second, shifted image because the die itself was made doubled.

Repunched Mint Mark (RPM)

The mint mark was punched into the die more than once, slightly off position, leaving a doubled letter.

Die Crack

A crack in the die fills with metal during the strike, leaving a thin raised line on the coin.

Die Cud

A piece of the die broke off at the rim, leaving a raised featureless blob attached to the coin's edge.

Off-Center Strike

The blank wasn't centered when struck, so part of the design is missing and part of the coin is blank.

Lamination Error

A thin layer of the coin's metal peels, flakes, or cracks off because the alloy was poorly mixed.

Real photos where available (credits); others are illustrations.

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