1876 Indian Head Cent Base
Base
About This Coin
The 1876 Indian Head Cent Base is a United States cent from the Indian Head Cents 1859-1909 series — 18th of 51 years in the series. In 1876, coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a combined mintage of 7.9 million. This ranks 7th of 51 years by total mintage, below 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. 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. Struck in 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc, weighing 3.11 grams, 19 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. Struck one year before the 1877 key date, the lowest-mintage regular issue in the series. Across its variants, estimated values range from $50 to $468 depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $2.5K in PR66BN grade at eBay. 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.
