Indian Head Penny Value: See How Much Indian Head Pennies From 1859 To 1909 Are Worth

by Joshua

Indian Head Pennies, Pennies, Rare Coins

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Many readers are curious about their Indian Head penny values.

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 cents were first struck in 1859 and they circulated for many years after the last ones were made in 1909.

Through the years, lots of people hung onto their Indian Head pennies — storing them away in drawers, boxes, and trunks.

These days, millions of Indian Head pennies can be found in old estates, and many people receive Indian Head pennies as family heirlooms which are passed on down through the generations.

To help answer your questions, here’s a little about the value of Indian Head pennies…

Indian Head Penny Values

Indian Head pennies were struck by the hundreds of millions. Therefore, as a coin series, they are not rare.

In fact, many dates in the Indian Head penny series are worth less than $3 to $5 in typical, circulated condition.

Prices increase upwards of $35 to $50 and up for uncirculated examples of common Indian Head pennies.

Most Indian Head pennies struck during the 1880s on through the early 1900s are, in fact, the most commonly encountered Indian Head pennies and are generally worth the least.

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 of dollars apiece.

Rare Indian Head Pennies Worth Collecting

So, which are the scarce Indian Head pennies you should be on the lookout for?

Consider these:

YearValueCondition
1864 Indian Head Penny with “L” on Ribbon $47 to $500Good to Mint-State 63
1866 $43 to $320Good to Mint-State 63
1867 $42 to $350Good to Mint-State 63
1868$35 to $325Good to Mint-State 63
1869 $65 to $650Good to Mint-State 63
1870 $40 to $775Good to Mint-State 63
1871 $55 to $700Good to Mint-State 63
1872 $80 to $1,000Good to Mint-State 63
1873 Doubled Liberty Indian Head Penny $150 to $12,000Good to Mint-State 63
1877 $700 to $4,000Good to Mint-State 63
1878 $25 to $320Good to Mint-State 63
1888 Over 7 Indian Head Penny$1,000 to $45,000Good to Mint-State 63
1894 Doubled Date Indian Head Penny $20 to $500Good to Mint-State 63
1908-S Indian Head Penny $70 to $325Good to Mint-State 63
1909-S Indian Head Penny $365 to $1,000Good 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.

Did you know the color of an Indian Head penny affects its value? Here are some more interesting facts about Indian Head pennies!

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 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:

YearValueCondition
1859 $11 to $500 Good to Mint-State 63
1861$18 to $300Good to Mint-State 63
1862$8 to $170 Good to Mint-State 63
1863$8 to $175 Good to Mint-State 63
1864 Copper-nickel$16 to $275 Good to Mint-State 63
1864 Bronze No “L”$12 to $125 Good to Mint-State 63
1865 $11 to $130 Good to Mint-State 63
1873 Open 3 $15 to $300 Good to Mint-State 63
1873 Closed 3 $18 to $500 Good to Mint-State 63
1874 $15 to $200 Good to Mint-State 63
1875 $15 to $200 Good to Mint-State 63
1876 $25 to $475 Good to Mint-State 63
1879 $6 to $115 Good to Mint-State 63
1880 $3 to $115 Good to Mint-State 63
1881 $2.50 to $75 Good to Mint-State 63
1882 $2.50 to $75 Good to Mint-State 63
1883 $2.50 to $75 Good to Mint-State 63
1884 $2.50 to $100 Good to Mint-State 63
1885 $5 to $160 Good to Mint-State 63
1886 Variety 1 $4 to 200 Good to Mint-State 63
1886 Variety 2 $5 to 420 Good to Mint-State 63
1887 $1.50 to $60 Good to Mint-State 63
1888 $1.50 to $100 Good to Mint-State 63
1889 $1.50 to $60 Good to Mint-State 63
1890 $1.50 to $60 Good to Mint-State 63
1891 $1.50 to $60 Good to Mint-State 63
1892 $1.50 to $60 Good to Mint-State 63
1893 $1.50 to $60 Good to Mint-State 63
1894 $2 to $100 Good to Mint-State 63
1895 $1.50 to $50 Good to Mint-State 63
1896 $1.50 to $50 Good to Mint-State 63
1897 $1.50 to $50 Good to Mint-State 63
1898 $1.50 to $50 Good to Mint-State 63
1899 $1.50 to $50 Good to Mint-State 63
1900 $1 to $45 Good to Mint-State 63
1901 $1 to $45 Good to Mint-State 63
1902 $1 to $45 Good to Mint-State 63
1903 $1 to $45 Good to Mint-State 63
1904 $1 to $45 Good to Mint-State 63
1905 $1 to $45 Good to Mint-State 63
1906 $1 to $45 Good to Mint-State 63
1907 $1 to $45 Good to Mint-State 63
1908 $1 to $45 Good to Mint-State 63
1909 $1 to $45 Good to Mint-State 63
*The Indian Head penny values listed above are for problem-free Indian Head cents that have not been cleaned, bent, or otherwise damaged and are free of holes, stains, and discoloration. Indian Head cents grading less than Good-4 are worth less than prices referenced above, while pieces in grades better than Mint-State 63 are usually worth more.

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