1860 Indian Head Cent Base
Base
About This Coin
The 1860 Indian Head Cent Base is a United States cent from the Indian Head Cents 1859-1909 series — the second year of the series. In 1860, coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a combined mintage of 61.7 million. This ranks 39th of 51 years by total mintage, above the series median of 39.0 million. The obverse features Liberty wearing a feathered headdress, often misidentified as a Native American — actually represents Liberty adorned with a chief's war bonnet and the reverse displays an oak wreath with a shield at the top, enclosing ONE CENT. First year of the oak wreath with shield reverse, a design change that would persist for nearly 50 years. Struck in 88% copper, 12% nickel, weighing 4.7 grams, 19 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. Collectors have identified one known die variety for this date (cud). Across its variants, estimated values range from $30 to $1.2K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $53K in MS67+ grade at Heritage Auctions. Designed by James Barton Longacre.
Value Estimates
Values as of May 2026 — range across all strike types, reflecting typical grades (G-4 through MS-63). Coins in lower or exceptional grades may fall outside this range.
