1861

The 1861 Indian Head cent was struck during the first year of the Civil War. Fort Sumter was fired upon in April, and by summer the Union and Confederacy were assembling armies. The Mint continued operations in Philadelphia, but the war's economic impact was already being felt. Public anxiety about the nation's future triggered hoarding of coins, particularly gold and silver, as people withdrew hard money from circulation and held it as a store of value.

The 1861 cent was struck in large quantity (over 10 million coins), but the hoarding that began during the year would intensify in 1862 and 1863, eventually pulling copper-nickel cents out of circulation alongside silver. By late 1862, coins of all denominations had essentially vanished from everyday commerce in much of the country, replaced by postage stamps, fractional currency notes, and privately issued tokens.

Surviving 1861 cents are available in circulated grades, though the wartime hoarding means a higher-than-typical percentage survived in better condition. Coins that were pulled from circulation early and stored in drawers or jars often survived in Very Fine or better, while coins that continued circulating through the war years show the expected wear. The 1861 is a Civil War coin in the most literal sense, struck in a year that divided the nation.