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Indian Head Cents

James Barton Longacre designed the Indian Head cent, and despite the name the portrait is not of a Native American. The obverse depicts Liberty wearing a feathered headdress, and the popular story has Longacre sketching his daughter Sarah wearing a headdress borrowed from a visiting delegation of chiefs. The tale is almost certainly apocryphal. Sarah would have been around thirty at the time, not the young girl the anecdote describes, and Breen dismissed the whole thing. Longacre more likely worked from the same classical sources he always used, adapting a Greco-Roman profile and sticking a feathered headdress on it as a distinctly American touch. Contemporary observers understood the headdress as a symbol of the continent rather than a portrait of anyone in particular, even if later generations have found the combination of European features and Native headgear a bit odd. Longacre had been Chief Engraver since 1844. The Indian Head cent was arguably his best work on the denomination, certainly more successful than the Flying Eagle that preceded it.

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1859–1909 Years struck
117 Date / variety entries
Philadelphia, San Francisco Mints

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Key date Semi-key Variety Proof Regular
Date Variety Mintage Price Guide Estimates Classification CK #
G VG F VF EF AU MS
1859 — 36,400,000 $13$17$25$45$100$175$285 REGULAR CK-307
1860 — 20,566,000 $10$15$20$36$65$94$162 REGULAR CK-309
1860 Pointed Bust — $20$28$36$53$85$135$245 VARIETY CK-311
1861 — 10,100,000 $20$33$40$53$94$141$188 REGULAR CK-312
1862 — 28,075,000 $10$15$20$28$45$67$115 REGULAR CK-314
1863 — 49,840,000 $10$15$20$28$45$67$115 REGULAR CK-316
1864 Bronze 39,233,714 $20$28$36$48$94$135$205 REGULAR CK-318
1864 Copper-Nickel — ——————— REGULAR CK-321
1864 L on Ribbon — ——————— SEMI-KEY CK-323
1865 Fancy 5 35,429,286 ——————— REGULAR CK-325
1865 Plain 5 35,429,286 ——————— REGULAR CK-326
1866 — 9,826,500 $48$59$67$86$167$225$265 SEMI-KEY CK-327
1867 — 9,821,000 $48$59$80$114$205$225$265 SEMI-KEY CK-329
1867 1867/67 Repunched Date — ——————— VARIETY CK-331
1868 — 10,266,500 $40$59$67$106$146$205$265 SEMI-KEY CK-332
1869 — 6,420,000 $114$183$380$490$690$875$990 SEMI-KEY CK-334
1870 — 5,275,000 $67$141$172$260$360$450$560 SEMI-KEY CK-336
1871 — 3,929,500 $121$172$245$325$470$605$770 SEMI-KEY CK-338
1872 — 4,042,000 $105$154$255$345$470$560$840 SEMI-KEY CK-340
1873 Closed 3 11,676,500 $22$28$53$100$146$215$325 REGULAR CK-342
1873 Doubled Liberty — ——————— VARIETY CK-344
1873 Open 3 11,676,500 $22$28$53$100$146$188$245 REGULAR CK-345
1874 — 14,187,500 $20$33$53$60$94$135$183 REGULAR CK-346
1875 — 13,528,000 $20$33$53$60$106$141$205 REGULAR CK-348
1876 — 7,944,000 $33$40$67$121$183$225$265 SEMI-KEY CK-350
1877 — 852,500 $435$515$875$1,040$1,800$2,360$3,395 KEY CK-352
1878 — 5,799,850 $28$40$65$135$205$245$285 SEMI-KEY CK-354
1879 — 16,231,200 $8.00$10$17$36$60$67$80 REGULAR CK-356
1880 — 38,964,955 $4.00$5.50$8.00$13$28$48$65 REGULAR CK-358
1881 — 39,211,575 $4.00$4.50$8.00$10$25$28$53 REGULAR CK-360
1882 — 38,581,100 $4.00$4.50$8.00$10$25$28$53 REGULAR CK-362
1883 — 45,598,109 $4.00$4.50$8.00$10$20$28$53 REGULAR CK-364
1884 — 23,261,742 $4.50$8.00$10$13$28$36$67 REGULAR CK-366
1885 — 11,765,384 $10$13$17$28$60$67$94 REGULAR CK-368
1886 Type 1 17,654,290 $8.00$13$20$60$80$162$183 REGULAR CK-370
1886 Type 2 17,654,290 $10$17$28$80$162$225$245 REGULAR CK-372
1887 — 45,226,483 $3.00$4.00$4.50$8.00$20$25$48 REGULAR CK-374
1888 — 37,494,414 $3.00$4.00$4.50$8.00$20$25$60 REGULAR CK-376
1888 1888/7 Overdate — ——————— VARIETY CK-378
1889 — 48,869,361 $2.50$3.00$4.00$5.50$15$22$48 REGULAR CK-379
1890 — 57,182,854 $2.50$3.00$4.00$5.50$13$22$48 REGULAR CK-381
1891 — 47,072,350 $2.50$3.00$4.00$5.50$13$22$48 REGULAR CK-383
1892 — 37,649,832 $2.50$3.00$4.00$6.50$17$22$48 REGULAR CK-385
1893 — 46,642,195 $2.50$3.00$4.00$6.50$17$22$48 REGULAR CK-387
1894 — 16,749,984 $5.50$8.00$13$20$45$57$80 REGULAR CK-390
1894 1894/1894 Repunched Date — ——————— VARIETY CK-391
1895 — 38,343,636 $2.50$3.00$4.00$6.50$13$20$36 REGULAR CK-392
1896 — 39,057,293 $2.50$3.00$4.00$6.50$13$20$36 REGULAR CK-394
1897 — 50,466,330 $2.50$3.00$4.00$6.50$13$20$36 REGULAR CK-396
1898 — 49,823,079 $2.50$3.00$4.00$6.50$13$20$36 REGULAR CK-398
1899 — 53,600,031 $2.50$3.00$4.00$6.50$13$20$36 REGULAR CK-400
1900 — 66,833,764 $1.50$2.50$4.00$4.50$8.00$17$33 REGULAR CK-402
1901 — 79,611,143 $1.50$2.50$4.00$4.50$8.00$17$33 REGULAR CK-404
1902 — 87,376,722 $1.50$2.50$4.00$4.50$8.00$17$33 REGULAR CK-407
1903 — 85,094,493 $1.50$2.50$4.00$4.50$8.00$17$33 REGULAR CK-408
1904 — 61,328,015 $1.50$2.50$4.00$4.50$8.00$17$33 REGULAR CK-410
1905 — 80,719,163 $1.50$2.50$4.00$4.50$8.00$17$33 REGULAR CK-412
1906 — 96,022,255 $1.50$2.50$4.00$4.50$8.00$17$33 REGULAR CK-414
1907 — 108,138,618 $1.50$2.50$4.00$4.50$8.00$17$33 REGULAR CK-416
1908 — 32,327,987 $1.50$2.50$4.00$4.50$8.00$17$33 REGULAR CK-418
1908-S — 1,115,000 $80$86$106$121$162$205$245 SEMI-KEY CK-420
1909 — 14,370,645 $8.00$13$14$17$20$25$36 REGULAR CK-421
1909-S — 309,000 $245$265$345$400$470$605$875 KEY CK-429
1859 1860 1860 Pointed Bust 1861 1862 1863 1864 Bronze 1864 Copper-Nickel 1864 L on Ribbon 1865 Fancy 5 1865 Plain 5 1866 1867 1867 1867/67 Repunched Date 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 Closed 3 1873 Doubled Liberty 1873 Open 3 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 Type 1 1886 Type 2 1887 1888 1888 1888/7 Overdate 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1894 1894/1894 Repunched Date 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1908-S 1909 1909-S
Date Variety Mintage Price Guide Estimates Classification CK #
G (PR) VG (PR) F (PR) VF (PR) EF (PR) AU (PR) MS (PR)
1859 — 800 ——————— KEY CK-308
1860 — 1,000 ——————— KEY CK-310
1861 — 1,000 ——————— KEY CK-313
1862 — 550 ——————— KEY CK-315
1863 — 460 ——————— KEY CK-317
1864 Bronze — ——————— KEY CK-319
1864 Copper Nickel — ——————— KEY CK-320
1864 L on Ribbon — ——————— KEY CK-322
1865 — 500 ——————$400 KEY CK-324
1866 — 725 ——————— KEY CK-328
1867 — 625 ——————— KEY CK-330
1868 — 600 ——————— KEY CK-333
1869 — 600 ——————— KEY CK-335
1870 — 1,000 ——————— KEY CK-337
1871 — 960 ——————— KEY CK-339
1872 — 950 ——————— KEY CK-341
1873 Closed 3 — ——————— KEY CK-343
1874 — 700 ——————— KEY CK-347
1875 — 700 ——————— KEY CK-349
1876 — 1,150 ——————— KEY CK-351
1877 — 900 ——————— KEY CK-353
1878 — 2,350 ——————— KEY CK-355
1879 — 3,200 ——————— KEY CK-357
1880 — 3,955 ——————— KEY CK-359
1881 — 3,575 ——————— KEY CK-361
1882 — 3,100 ——————— KEY CK-363
1883 — 6,609 ——————— KEY CK-365
1884 — 3,942 ——————— KEY CK-367
1885 — 3,790 ——————— KEY CK-369
1886 Type 1 17,654,290 ——————— KEY CK-371
1886 Type 2 17,654,290 ——————— KEY CK-373
1887 — 2,960 ——————— KEY CK-375
1888 — 4,582 ——————— KEY CK-377
1889 — 3,336 ——————— KEY CK-380
1890 — 2,740 ——————— KEY CK-382
1891 — 2,350 ——————— KEY CK-384
1892 — 2,745 ——————— KEY CK-386
1893 — 2,195 ——————— KEY CK-388
1894 — 2,632 ——————— KEY CK-389
1895 — 2,062 ——————— KEY CK-393
1896 — 1,862 ——————— KEY CK-395
1897 — 1,938 ——————— KEY CK-397
1898 — 1,795 ——————— KEY CK-399
1899 — 2,031 ——————— KEY CK-401
1900 — 2,262 ——————— KEY CK-403
1901 — 1,985 ——————— KEY CK-405
1902 — 2,018 ——————— KEY CK-406
1903 — 1,790 ——————— KEY CK-409
1904 — 1,817 ——————— KEY CK-411
1905 — 2,152 ——————— KEY CK-413
1906 — 1,725 ——————— KEY CK-415
1907 — 1,475 ——————— KEY CK-417
1908 — 1,620 ——————— KEY CK-419
1909 — 2,175 ——————— KEY CK-422
1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 Bronze 1864 Copper Nickel 1864 L on Ribbon 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 Closed 3 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 Type 1 1886 Type 2 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909