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Indian Head pennies were struck from 1859 to 1909 and were one of the longest-running coin series in the United States. Designed by James Longacre and among the most recognizable coin series in the United States, Indian Head pennies are popular among coin collectors young and old, and widely sought after.
In general, coin collectors will accumulate collections of Indian Head pennies by either date and mintmark, or type. For type sets, a coin collector usually needs just one example of an Indian Head cent to represent the series, whereas those who collect by date need one from each year for a complete set.
Determining how much it will cost to assemble a complete set of this small cent design, or figuring out how much one may be worth today, is a matter of perusing an Indian Head cent coin value guide.
In many cases, it is also educational to take a look at the track record of coin values to see how much certain dates have either increased or decreased in value over the years. While this is especially helpful to those who may want to invest in a coin series, it can also quite entertaining to see what the values are for a certain coin over a given period of time.
Below is a look back at historic coin values for the scarcer Indian Head cents. These coin values are from the 1965, 1985, and 2005 editions of A Guide Book of United States Coins, published by R.S. Yeoman.
*Values are for coins in a grade of “Good,” unless otherwise stated.
1859 $4.00 (1965) $4.50 (1985) $13 (2005)
1864 (L on ribbon) $16 (1965) $25 (1985) $55 (2005)
1866 $10 (1965) $20 (1985) $45 (2005)
1869/8 $45 (1965) $50 (1985) $110 (2005)
1870 $14 (1965) $23 (1985) $50 (2005)
1871 $21 (1965) $30 (1985) $50 (2005)
1872 $23.50 (1965) $43 (1985) $75 (2005)
1877 $100 (1965) $250 (1985) $550 (2005)
1878 $8.50 (1965) $14 (1985) $30 (2005)
1908-S $22 (1965) $22 (1985) $60 (2005)
1909-S $78 (1965) $100 (1985) $300 (2005)
As is the case with all coin values, previous trends may not necessarily predict future outcomes. For example, if a hoard of a rare date, such as the 1877 Indian Head penny, is found, the sudden influx of coins can lower the value of that date. For the most part, coin values are very volatile, and coins should never be seen as a “guaranteed” investment.
In the case of Indian Head pennies, whether or not they are a good investment, they more importantly represent a bygone era in the United States and should be collected and enjoyed for their historic, social, and numismatic value, as much as, if not more than, for their potential as a good investment in the years to come.

I’m the Coin Editor here at TheFunTimesGuide. My love for coins began when I was 11 years old. I primarily collect and study U.S. coins produced during the 20th century. I’m a member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) and the Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG) and have won multiple awards from the NLG for my work as a coin journalist. I’m also the editor at the Florida United Numismatists Club (FUN Topics magazine), and author of Images of America: The United States Mint in Philadelphia (a book that explores the colorful history of the Philadelphia Mint). I’ve contributed hundreds of articles for various coin publications including COINage, The Numismatist, Numismatic News, Coin Dealer Newsletter, Coin Values, and CoinWeek. I’ve authored nearly 1,000 articles here at The Fun Times Guide to Coins (many of them with over 50K shares), and I welcome your coin questions in the comments below!
this penny i have i think its fake…. it says on the back under one cent copy so is that a fake or is it real?? just wondering….
Summer,
Coins that are counterfeit (or replicas), must have the word “COPY” placed somewhere on the piece. So, what you have is not a real coin.
I have an 1898 Indian head penny… is it valuable?
That is a fairly common date and would need to be in a very high grade of “uncirculated” condition to be worth a lot. In average used condition you are looking at about $3-$5
what does the “s” mean after the date? For example the dates listed above mention 1909-s. Thanks!
“S” stands for the San Fransico mint. Generally coins minted there are worth more as they produced fewer amounts.
I have a 1907 indian head ,in good conidtion ,Any value???
I have a 1890 indian head in good condition, any value?
Hello, Valerie —
A worn 1890 Indian Head cent is worth around $3 to $5.
Thanks for your question!
Josh
I have a 1989 Indian head penny stamped with a 5 any help? Sorry 1889
Hello, Liberty —
A worn 1889 Indian cent is worth $2 to $3.
I have a 1985 -D penny? Can anyone help?
Hi, Cole —
A worn 1985-D Lincoln cent is worth face value.
Best,
Josh
Hi Josh, I have 3 indian head pennies, 1888 and 1892 and one from 1863 that has stars around the head on the front and what someone wrote one the back of the package “union 61/36”. Can you tell me what they are worth?
HI, Linda —
Can you please post a photo of your 1863 Indian cent? It sounds like something someone altered with a whim of Civil War nostalgia and not a wholly original coin.
The 1888 and 1892 Indian Head pennies, assuming they exhibit average wear for their ages, are worth about $2 to $3 each.
Best,
Josh
Let me know if you need a better one or not. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5346f927c99dffc055f80783cbf60fd903f6e459851bd7cdb3d9655a11c794dc.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ca97d42d7affac6102c418867b26f6edc58b7197576bfd272fdb9770f19309d4.jpg
Hi, Linda —
It appears you have a Civil War token. There are many different kinds; some are common, others are quite scarce. The obverse/Indian Head side is easy to identify, but I can’t tell the reverse side due to the angle of the photo. From what I’ve seen, your piece appears to be a genuine Civil War token; many similar pieces are worth $20 and up.
Nice find!
Josh
Here is a better shot. Thanks for the information.
Did you get the photo? I can see it but did not know if you could or not.
Hello .Joshua. could you please lend me your opinion on the grade of this Indian Head Penny is it G4 good or maybe V. G. 8 I’m having a hard time thank you very much
Hi, David –
Judging only from the obverse of the coin (I don’t see a photo of the reverse) this appears to be in the grade range of Very Good-10 to Fine-12. However, the coin appears to have some porosity and rim dings, which would bring its value down about 20% to 30% from its book value. Given the evident grade and condition of the coin, I’d say this 1863 Indian Head cent is worth somewhere in the $7 to $10 range.
Best,
Josh
Thank you Joshua, for all that you do, till next time . # 1 Fan….
It’s my pleasure, David! Thank you for your readership!
I’m https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/139594819a87d234768b15a3900dc710bde017f3bb6eddb28862c83015a36508.jpg trying to find out if my INDIAN HEAD PENNY is of value or not either way I’ll be keeping it in the family because it’s too unique not too but sure would be nice to know more info on it.
Any Info would greatly appreciated thank you
Also here is a view of the backside of my Indian head penny not real sure this indent it doesn’t go all the way through but the front side it just looks as though maybe it was hit by some type of maybe a bb or birdshot. Here on the back side it shows the center of the penny from being shot.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/849c4398eb18b3e4de19de6a87ec45f2710ae9e56d9385cb80d56e2e6db0b61d.jpg
Oh own thank you so much for the information I do appreciate knowing that!!
You’re welcome, Mia!
Best,
Josh
Hello again
I have another question the 1983 penny what is its value and is it the same one that I have here? The color of this penny is more of a black penny I’ve only seen a few like this and this one being one of them is their anything to this penny here https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b004f0b13e49eaabc04c22bc5528e197acaf4c169999dadb610e1c0f5daf8497.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3b0c342050da2287b7ce8aaa55136b74a56a2e9f2e67aa4924b2acb2793ba2b5.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f76d68ef8cc45ab0577fe85058c8da68a02737b472627b2e7985d8693ed2ac98.jpg
Hi, Mia —
This poor 1983 Lincoln cent has suffered some pretty strong environmental damage, thus its color. It’s worth face value.
Thank you for your questions and photos!
-Josh
Hello, Mia —
Your 1902 Indian Head cent has a design that was first seen on US one-cent coins in 1859 and was in use until 1909, when it was replaced by the Lincoln cent. These coins were designed by James Longacre and are rarely ever seen in circulation anymore, however, they are still found in older collections. This 1902 Indian Head cent is worth 50 cents to $1 and is a wonderful American memento of yesteryear.
Thank you for your question and photos!
Josh