Through the years, lots of people held onto their Indian Head pennies — storing them away in drawers, boxes, and trunks.
As a result, millions of Indian Head pennies can be found today in old estates, or as family heirlooms which are being passed on down through the generations.
Many readers are curious about their Indian Head penny values.
To help answer your questions, I’ve put together this complete guide to Indian Head penny values.
But first, I’ve got a few little-known facts about Indian Head pennies that you might find interesting!
Did You Know?…
- The Indian Head penny does not actually have an indigenous person on it. It is, in fact, Lady Liberty wearing an indigenous-inspired headdress.
- The Indian Head penny was designed by U.S. Mint Chief Engraver James B. Longacre, who designed many popular coins during his tenure at the Mint from 1844 through 1869.
- Indian Head pennies were minted from 1859 until 1909. They circulated for many years after the last ones were made in 1909.
- During the first year that Indian Head pennies were minted (1859), they had a laurel wreath on the reverse and were made of a copper-nickel composition.
- In 1860, the U.S. Mint changed the laurel wreath to an oak wreath and added a small shield at the top of the Indian head penny.
- The United States Mint changed the composition of the Indian Head penny to bronze in 1864.
- Near the end of 1864, they added a small letter L (the initial of Longacre’s last name) to the lower ribbon of the headdress on Indian Head pennies.
- The design remained unchanged after that — until the Indian Head penny was replaced by the Lincoln penny in 1909.
- The 1908 and 1909 coins are the only 2 Indian Head pennies that have mintmarks on them.
Indian Head Penny Values
Indian Head pennies were struck by the hundreds of millions. Therefore, as a coin series, they are not rare.
The Indian Head pennies struck during the 1880s on through the early 1900s are the most commonly encountered Indian Head pennies and are generally worth the least.
In fact, many dates in the Indian Head penny series are worth around $1 to $5 in worn, circulated condition.
Prices increase upwards of $35 and up for uncirculated examples of common Indian Head pennies.
As you will see in the chart at the very bottom of this post, prices for Mint State Indian Head penny coins range from $50 to $500 and up.
Rare Indian Head Pennies Worth Collecting
While Indian Head pennies are generally NOT considered rare, there are scarce dates of Indian Head pennies worth keeping an eye open for!
These scarce dates range in value from $25 up to hundreds — even thousands — of dollars.
For example, I call the 1877 Indian Head cent “The Chief.” It’s the second-lowest minted Indian Head penny next to the 1909-S. And the 1877 is just as sought after as the 1909-S, if not more, by collectors.
So, which are the scarce Indian Head pennies you should be on the lookout for?
Consider these:
| Year | Value | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| 1864 Indian Head Penny with “L” on Ribbon | $60 to $600 | Good to Mint-State 63 |
| 1866 | $48 to $550 | Good to Mint-State 63 |
| 1867 | $48 to $425 | Good to Mint-State 63 |
| 1868 | $40 to $500 | Good to Mint-State 63 |
| 1869 | $80 to $1,150 | Good to Mint-State 63 |
| 1870 | $55 to $850 | Good to Mint-State 63 |
| 1871 | $85 to $950 | Good to Mint-State 63 |
| 1872 | $60 to $1,200 | Good to Mint-State 63 |
| 1873 Doubled Liberty Indian Head Penny | $200 to $9,000 | Good to Mint-State 63 |
| 1877 | $600 to $7,000 | Good to Mint-State 63 |
| 1878 | $30 to $450 | Good to Mint-State 63 |
| 1888 “8 Over 7” Indian Head Penny | $1,700 to $75,000 | Good to Mint-State 63 |
| 1894 Doubled Date Indian Head Penny | $70 to $2,200 | Good to Mint-State 63 |
| 1908-S Indian Head Penny | $70 to $500 | Good to Mint-State 63 |
| 1909-S Indian Head Penny | $375 to $1,600 | Good to Mint-State 63 |
As you can see, there are several Indian Head pennies that are indeed worth a “pretty penny.” However, these dates are also among the most scarce in the Indian Head penny series.
For that reason, you should always double-check the date of any Indian Head penny you happen upon — to see if you have one of the rare dates.
Of special note from the list above is the 1909-S Indian Head cent. Only 309,000 examples of this coin were minted at the San Francisco Mint. This scarce issue is also worth more because it’s the last Indian Head penny before the Lincoln cent took over.
NOTE: the color of an Indian Head penny affects its value!
Common-Date Indian Head Penny Values
Now, you may be wondering what your Indian Head penny is worth if it is not one of the scarcest specimens mentioned above.
What are Indian Head penny values, if dated from the 1880s through the 1900s and not well-worn?
What if you have an earlier Indian Head cent that you don’t see mentioned above?
The following list of Indian Head penny values includes all of the other coins in the series — so if you don’t find the value of your Indian Head cent above, you should find it here:
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