1887 Indian Head Cent - Brunk C 300 Cattaragus Cutlery Co.
Strike Type
Coin Details
Value Estimates
Values as of May 2026, from published price guides and, in some cases, recorded auction sales. For most coins the range runs from a well-worn example (around G-4) to an uncirculated one, but individual coins can sell for more or less depending on grade, eye appeal and demand. Compare recent sales of similar coins for a closer estimate.
Description
This 1887 Indian Head Cent bears a merchant counterstamp attributed to Cattaragus Cutlery Co., cataloged as Brunk C-300. Counterstamps were applied to circulating coins by merchants, silversmiths, and tradesmen as a form of portable advertising — the business card of early America. The Cattaragus Cutlery Co. stamp was punched into the coin after it left the Mint, repurposing it as a merchant advertising piece. The host coin is an 1887 cent from the Indian Head Cents 1859-1909 series. The host coin's original mintage was 45.2 million, though counterstamped examples represent only a tiny fraction of survivors. Struck in 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc, 19 mm in diameter. Cataloged as PCGS #912260. Counterstamped coins documented in Gregory G. Brunk's "American and Canadian Countermarked Coins" sit at the intersection of numismatics and Americana — each piece is a primary-source historical document of early American commerce. The counterstamp adds a unique layer of provenance that distinguishes this coin from all other examples of its type.
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