1864 Indian Head Cent

About This Coin

The 1864 Indian Head Cent is a United States cent from the Indian Head Cents 1859-1909 series. In 1864, coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a combined mintage of 53.0 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. Copper-nickel cents were hoarded during the Civil War, and the Act of April 22, 1864 replaced them with a lighter bronze cent like the private tokens then circulating. The "L" initial for Longacre first appears on the ribbon, creating two major varieties. Struck in copper-nickel (88% copper, 12% nickel) and then in bronze (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc), 19 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. Collectors have cataloged 41 known die varieties for this date across 6 categories, including bisecting rim to rim die crack, cud, doubled die obverse and 3 other types. Across its variants, estimated values range from $30 to $37K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $129K in PR66 grade at Heritage Auctions. Designed by James Barton Longacre.