The Indian cent, minted in the US between 1859 and 1909, features the Statue of Liberty wearing a feathered headdress, hence its name. The most valuable version is the 1877 issue, with few surviving in good condition, and can sell for over $400 USD. The coin’s composition changed over time, with the first five years being 88% copper and 12% nickel, and later versions being 95% copper with tin and zinc.
An Indian cent refers to any of the one-cent coins that were minted in the United States between 1859 and 1909. These coins bear the likeness of the head of the Statue of Liberty wearing a feathered headdress. Because the headdress resembled those traditionally worn in Native American cultures, the coin became known as the Indian cent or Indian dime. James Barton Longacre is credited with coming up with the design for the coin while he was employed as an engraver at the Philadelphia Mint. About 1.85 billion Indian cents were minted during his 50-year life.
Despite the large number of these coins originally minted, relatively few survive. Because of this, all Indian pennies are worth at least $1 US dollar (USD), provided the date can be read, as well as the mint mark if there is one. Coin values, in general, are based on a combination of the rarity of the piece and its condition. Of course, this is the case with most collectibles, but the condition of the coins is measured according to a standardized scale indicated by letters and numbers. A coin in pristine condition, denoted as MS-65, is the most desirable, but other coins in less pristine condition, such as VG-8 or G-4, can still be valuable, as is the case with the Indian penny.
The most valuable type of Indian penny is the 1877 issue. Whatever the reason at the time, very few 1877 Indian pennies were minted – less than a million, in fact. This scarcity, and the fact that very few 1877 pennies have been kept in good condition, gives the coin what is by far the highest value of any Indian penny. An 1877 penny in Very Good or VG-8 condition can sell for over $400 USD.
For the first five years of the Indian cent series, the coins were 88% copper and 12% nickel. It is a little known fact that this coin was actually known as “nickel” due to its nickel content. This was in the time before the five cent coin we know today as the nickel was issued. In 1864, the alloying mix was changed to 95% copper, with the remaining 5% consisting of tin and zinc. This effectively reduced the coin’s weight by over a third. This alloy was used for many years thereafter but was later dropped in favor of zinc copper in 1982.
Smart Assets.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
