By 1877, you couldn’t even get candy for 1c so nobody wanted the coins and very few were minted. In 1850, you could get a loaf of bread for a quarter, so a penny could maybe buy one slice.

The economy was so bad that few people had any cash and coins were worthless. The rarest year for Indian Head cents was 1877. Technically speaking, the Indian Head penny was first crafted in 1858, but it wasn’t formally minted until 1859, hence the discrepancy in the dates. 1877 Indian Head Cent Low Mintage Key Beauty About Uncirculated Details Scarce! The ones designed in 1859 and minted in 1860 had an oak wreath and shield reverse.Ĥ. The first Indian Head penny was designed in 1858 but minted in 1859. This is partly why the US Mint changed the coin to bronze in 1864.īefore the Indian Head, pennies had a flying eagle on the obverse (18). It was essential for weapons and military equipment, so citizens hoarded pennies for their nickel content. Indian Head Cent Complete Set NR Auction 1872 1877 1909S PQ Flying Eagle NO 1856 Credit: ebayĭuring the American Civil War (1861 to 1865), nickel was an important component of the war effort. These newer bronze pennies were 95% copper and 5% tin with trace amounts of zinc.ģ. Bronze is an alloy of copper + tin (as opposed to brass, which is copper + zinc). Afterward (1864 to 1909), they were made of bronze. These whitish coins were nicknamed ‘nicks’ or ‘white cents’.

Before then, pennies were pure copper, and the addition of nickel gave the coin an odd white tinge. The coin he designed was initially 88% copper and 12% nickel. James Longacre worked at the Philadelphia Mint where he was the Chief Engraver. 1878 Indian Head Cent PCGS MS 65 RD Snow 2 MPD Pop 1/0 TOP POP *PhotoSeal* The Indian Head penny was coined from 1859 to 1909 and designed by James Barton Longacre.Ģ. The edge is the side and the rim or collar is the raised border on the front or back of some coins. You might get confused about the rim and edge. The wording on the coin is described as the legend, or sometimes the motto. The portrait or image is called the device while the background is called the field.

In case you’re unfamiliar, obverse is the technical term for the heads side of a coin. 1902 Indian Head PCGS Proof 67 RD – Population 8/3 Let’s find out more! Rare Indian Head Penny Value table Year We’re more interested in the most valuable Indian Head Penny, a 1-cent coin with Lady Liberty in a Native American headdress on the obverse. Spot a penny, pick it up, and all the day, you’ll have good luck! This old proverb sounds cute, but if your name is Penny, you’ve heard it at the bar a hundred times! Right now, we’re not talking about thirst.

1898 indian head penny ms65rd