1866 Indian Head Cent

Strike Type

Coin Details

Year

1866

Denomination

Cent

Mint Mark

Strike Type

Regular Strike

Series

Indian Head Cents 1859-1909

Designer

James Barton Longacre

Mintage

9,826,500

Composition

95% Copper, 5% Tin and Zinc

Weight

3.11g

Diameter

19mm

Edge

Plain

Value Estimates

$73 - $556

Values as of May 2026 — estimates reflect typical grades (G-4 through MS-63). Coins in lower or exceptional grades may fall outside this range.

Auction Record

$4,140 MS66 02-16-2001 Goldberg Auctioneers

Description

The 1866 Indian Head Cent is a cent minted at the Philadelphia Mint, within the Indian Head Cents 1859-1909 series. With a mintage of 9.8 million, this is a less common issue — the higher-mintage of the two mint variants, representing 100% of production. 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. Minted during Reconstruction and the Gilded Age, as the nation healed from civil war and debated the role of silver and gold in the monetary system. Philadelphia's mint — the nation's first — has produced coins without interruption since its founding in 1792. Estimated market value ranges from $73 to $556 depending on grade and condition. Struck in 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc, weighing 3.11 grams, 19 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. Cataloged as PCGS #2085.

External References

🔗PCGS CoinFacts 🔗NGC Coin Explorer

Error Varieties(12)

RCD-1c-1866-01 Retained Cud

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