1908 Indian Head Cent Base

About This Coin

The 1908 Indian Head Cent Base is a United States cent from the Indian Head Cents 1859-1909 series — a late issue, 50th of 51 years in the series. In 1908, coins were struck at the San Francisco and Philadelphia Mints with a combined mintage of 33.4 million. This ranks 20th 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. First year of San Francisco production for the denomination, making the 1908-S a significant issue. Struck in 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc, weighing 3.11 grams, 19 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. Collectors have identified one known die variety for this date (typical die clash). Across its variants, estimated values range from $3 to $556 depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $4.0K in MS66BN grade at eBay. Designed by James Barton Longacre.