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1881
| Weight | 3.11 g |
| Diameter | 19 mm |
| Mint | Philadelphia |
| Strike | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 39,211,575 |
| Edge | Plain |
| Alignment | ↑↓ Coin |
| Composition | 95% Copper, 5% Tin & Zinc |
| Melt value | — |
| Designer | James B. Longacre |
| Collector's Key ID | CK-360 |
Collection
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No additional varieties recorded for this strike.
External references
The 1881 Indian Head cent was struck in a mintage of approximately 39.2 million coins. The Gilded Age continued to drive economic growth and commercial activity. The penny was everywhere: in the cash registers of general stores, in the collection plates of churches, in the pockets of schoolchildren. The 1881 is a common date, plentiful in all grades and affordable for collectors at every budget level.
President James Garfield was inaugurated in March 1881 and assassinated in July, dying in September after months of suffering. The nation mourned a president for the second time in sixteen years. The cents struck that year circulated through the grief and carried on. No mark on the coin records the event.
Reference data only — not an appraisal.
| Grade | Description | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| G-4 | Good (G) | $4 | $4.50 |
| VG-8 | Very Good (VG) | $4.50 | $5.50 |
| F-12 | Fine (F) | $8 | $9 |
| VF-20 | Very Fine (VF) | $10 | $11.50 |
| EF-40 | Extremely Fine (EF) | $25 | $29 |
| AU-50 | About Uncirculated (AU) | $28 | $32 |
| MS-60 | Uncirculated (MS) | $53 | $61 |
| MS-63 | Choice Uncirculated (MS) | $95 | $101 |
How much is a 1881 Indian Head Cent worth?
How many 1881 Indian Head Cents were minted?
What is a 1881 Indian Head Cent made of?
What is the melt value of a 1881 Indian Head Cent?
Is the 1881 Indian Head Cent a key date?
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