Indian Head Cent
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Spanning 1859 to 1909, the Indian Head Cent catalog contains 115 year-and-mintmark variants. Across the series, the key date is the 1864 Indian Head Cent at just 20 struck and the highest-value variant is the 1877 Indian Head Cent at up to $130,000 in top grade.
Indian Head Cent · All Strikes Mintage by Year
Peak 108MCombined mintage per year across every strike type (circulated, proof, and specimen) and all mintmarks.
About the Indian Head Cent
The Indian Head Cent, or sometimes referred to as an Indian Penny, is a one-cent coin that was produced by the United States Mint from 1859 to 1909. The coin was designed by James B. Longacre, the Mint’s Chief Engraver, and is composed of 88% copper and 12% nickel. The obverse facing of the coin features a portrait of Lady Liberty, wearing a traditional Native American headdress. The reverse of the coin showcases a style of stylized wheat sprigs which is meant to represent prosperity.
In its original incarnation, the Indian Head cent was minted from 1859 to 1864. This first version of the coin featured a wreath design surrounding the Indian head. However, in 1864 the Mint changed the design from a wreath to a shield to honor the Union’s victory in the Civil War. This run of coins was also the only version to feature the half-arrows at the beginning and end of the word ONE as design elements on both the obverse and reverse faces of the coin.
Once the Civil War ended and the Union was restored, the Mint released a new version of the Indian Head cent in 1866 which featured differences from the original coin. This version, known as the ‘with motto’ variety, includes the phrase “IN GOD WE TRUST” centered below the portrait of Lady Liberty. In 1890, the Mint changed the composition of the coin and replaced the 12% nickel in the alloy with 8.5% tin and 0.5% zinc. This ‘bronze’ version would become the standard composition until the end of the Indian Head Cent’s production.
The Indian Head cent is a sought-after collectible coin due to its intriguing and historically rich design. There are four main varieties of the coin. The first is the ‘without motto’ variety which was minted from 1859-64. The ‘with motto’ variety has two versions as well, with one being minted from 1866-73 and the other being minted from 1873-1909. Finally, the bronze version was minted from 1890-1909. Depending on the variety and condition of the coin, prices for a single Indian Head Cent can range from a few dollars all the way up to thousands of dollars.
Most-collected Indian Head Cent coins on LuckyCoin
Looking for coins from a specific year across every denomination? Browse US coin values by year →
Which Indian Head Cent coins do collectors actually own? See the 2026 rarity & ownership report →
Frequently Asked Questions
- When was the Indian Head Cent minted?
- The Indian Head Cent was minted by United States from 1859 to 1909.
- How many Indian Head Cent coins were minted?
- Across every year and mintmark, approximately 1,849,669,287 Indian Head Cent coins were struck.
- What mintmarks exist for the Indian Head Cent?
- Indian Head Cent coins were struck with the following mintmarks: S. Some years were also produced without a mintmark.
- What is the Indian Head Cent made of?
- The Indian Head Cent is made of bronze (.950 copper, .050 tin and zinc), weighs 3.11 grams, and measures 19 mm in diameter.
- How much is a Indian Head Cent worth?
- Value depends on year, mintmark, and condition. Common dates in average circulated condition trade for near face value, while the rarest varieties in top grade can fetch up to $130,000. See individual year pages for grade-by-grade estimates.