Indian Head Cent Complete Guide

Mint dates: 1859-1909

Design

James Barton Longacre, chief engraver of the United States Mint, designed the Indian Head cent. The obverse depicts Liberty facing left in a feathered headdress. The 1859 reverse uses a laurel wreath; from 1860 through 1909 the reverse uses an oak-and-olive wreath with arrows and a federal shield. Copper-nickel cents were struck from 1859 into 1864, followed by bronze cents through the end of the series. San Francisco struck the only branch-mint issues in 1908 and 1909.

Key design details

• Obverse: Liberty faces left, with LIBERTY on the headband.
• 1859 reverse: Laurel wreath surrounding ONE CENT; no shield.
• 1860-1909 reverse: Oak-and-olive wreath, arrows, and shield.
• Composition change: Copper-nickel through early 1864; bronze from later 1864 onward.
• Mintmarks: Only 1908-S and 1909-S carry an S mintmark.

Choose an era

1859-1869: Copper-Nickel and Early Bronze

The laurel-wreath first year, the 1860 reverse redesign, the copper-nickel issues, the 1864 bronze transition, 1864-L, and all cataloged varieties through 1869.

1870-1889: Major Varieties and Transitional Details

Closed 3 and Open 3, doubled dies, repunched and misplaced dates, reverse-hub distinctions, and every cataloged business-strike entry through 1889.

1890-1909: Final Years and Branch Mints

Late-series varieties, the first San Francisco Indian Head cent in 1908, the 1908-S, and the Philadelphia and San Francisco issues that ended the series in 1909.

How the guides are structured

Every variety uses the same sequence:

1. The exact variety or issue name.
2. Do You Have One? What To Look For: a direct collector diagnostic.
3. Catalog cross-references and a primary reference link.
4. An original inspection map showing where to examine the coin.
5. A separate Errors section explaining genuine mint-error classes and common lookalikes.

The repeated structure is intentional. Collectors should not have to relearn the page layout every time they move to another date or variety.

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Explore other coin designs

• Lincoln Wheat Cent guides
• Westward Journey Nickel series
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Sources

1. NGC VarietyPlus: Indian Cents (1859-1909). NGC. Catalog list, cross-references, and diagnostics accessed September 25, 2026.
2. PCGS CoinFacts: Indian Cent, 1859-1909. PCGS. Series specifications and issue references.

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