Indian Head Cents & Flying Eagle Cents

The Small Cent Revolution

In 1857, the US Mint made a dramatic change: replacing the large, pure-copper cent with a smaller coin made of copper-nickel alloy. The Flying Eagle cent (1857–1858) launched this new era, followed by the beloved Indian Head cent (1859–1909), which became one of America's most iconic coin designs.

Flying Eagle Cents (1857–1858)

Designed by James B. Longacre, the Flying Eagle cent features a majestic eagle in flight on the obverse and a wreath on the reverse. Despite its beauty, the design lasted only two years — the eagle's high relief caused striking problems, with the eagle and wreath designs interfering with each other through the thin planchet.

• 1856 Flying Eagle — A pattern coin, not officially a circulation strike. About 2,000 minted for Congressional review. Worth $10,000+ in any condition. One of the most famous US coin rarities.
• 1857 — First year of circulation. High mintage (17.4 million). Available from $25 (Good) to $500+ (MS-65).
• 1858 — Two varieties: Large Letters and Small Letters. Last year. Similar values to 1857.

Indian Head Cents (1859–1909)

Also designed by Longacre, the Indian Head cent doesn't actually depict a Native American — it shows Liberty wearing a Native American headdress. Legend says Longacre used his daughter Sarah as the model, though this is debated.

Composition Changes

• 1859 — Copper-nickel, laurel wreath reverse (one year only).
• 1860–1864 — Copper-nickel with oak wreath and shield reverse.
• 1864–1909 — Bronze (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc). Thinner and lighter. The 1864 L variety (with designer's initial) is a key coin.

Key Dates

• 1877 — The undisputed king. Lowest mintage (852,500) of any regular-issue Indian Head cent. $1,000+ in Good, $5,000+ in EF, $15,000+ in MS-63.
• 1909-S — The only San Francisco mint Indian Head cent. Last year of the series. $500+ in Good.
• 1864 L — Designer's initial "L" on the ribbon. $80+ in Good.
• 1869 — Low mintage. $100+ in Good.
• 1872 — Another scarce date. $150+ in Good.

Notable Varieties

• 1873 Doubled LIBERTY — Clear doubling in the word LIBERTY. Significant premium.
• 1888/7 Overdate — An 8 punched over a 7 in the date. Visible under magnification.
• 1894 Doubled Date — Subtle but collectible doubling.

Collecting Strategies

• Complete date set (1857–1909) — Achievable in lower grades for $3,000–$5,000 without the 1856 pattern. The 1877 is the major expense.
• Type set — Three types: Flying Eagle, Copper-Nickel Indian Head (laurel wreath or oak wreath), and Bronze Indian Head. Affordable at $50–$200 total.
• Red vs. Brown — Uncirculated Indian Head cents are graded by color: Red (RD), Red-Brown (RB), or Brown (BN). Full Red examples command 3–10x premiums over Brown.
• Grade focus — VF to EF is the sweet spot for date collectors. Common dates in Good are very affordable ($3–$10).

Buying Tips

• Examine strike quality — Indian Head cents are often weakly struck on the feather tips and the shield on the reverse.
• Watch for cleaning — many Indian Heads have been cleaned over the decades. Look for natural brown or red-brown surfaces.
• Check for altered dates — the 1877 is frequently counterfeited or created by altering common dates. Buy key dates only from reputable dealers or in certified holders.
• Coin shows are excellent places to cherry-pick Indian Head cents from dealer junk boxes.

Up Next

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