1899 Indian Head Cent Repunched Date FS-301 Snow-1

Description

Designated FS-301 in the Fivaz-Stanton attribution system and Snow-1 in the Snow reference, this 1899 Indian Head Cent repunched date variety displays the original date punched east of the final position. During the 19th century, date numerals were individually punched into working dies by hand, and misalignment between the initial and final punch positions created repunched date varieties — a category of mint error that is characteristic of pre-20th century coinage before the adoption of master dies with dates already incorporated. The eastward shift of the original digits is the primary diagnostic, visible upon close examination as secondary impressions of the date numerals displaced to the right of their final placement. As the Snow-1 designation indicates, this is the most prominent repunched date variety known for the 1899 Indian Head cent, with the full four-digit date showing evidence of the eastward mispositioning. James Barton Longacre designed the Indian Head cent obverse, depicting Liberty wearing a feathered headdress (not actually a Native American portrait, despite the popular name), with the reverse featuring an oak wreath enclosing ONE CENT. The 1899 issue was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in bronze composition (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc) at 3.11 grams and 19.05 mm diameter. The FS-301 cross-reference confirms this variety's inclusion in the standard Cherry Pickers' Guide, the primary reference for accessible and significant die varieties in the U.S. series.

Attribution History

• FS-301, Snow-1