1878 Indian Head Cent

The 1878 Indian Head cent was produced in a mintage of approximately 5.8 million coins, a dramatic increase from the 1877's 852,500 but still low enough to qualify as a semi-key date. The Depression of 1873 was finally ending in 1878, and economic activity was beginning to recover. The Mint increased cent production accordingly, though the output remained well below the levels of the early 1860s or the common-date 1880s to come.

The 1878 is the last semi-key date before the Indian Head series enters its most available period. From 1879 through the early 1900s, mintages would climb into the tens of millions, making those dates far more accessible. The 1878 stands as the final entry in the thirteen-year semi-key stretch that runs from 1866 through 1878, a period defined by low mintages, Reconstruction-era economics, and the Depression of 1873.