Indian Head Cent Cheat Sheet

Essential Data for the Field Hunter

The Big Three (Must-Haves)

Mintage: 852,500

The "King" of the series. Rarer than the 1909-S in high grades. Check for a weak "N" in ONE on reverse to verify authenticity.

Mintage: 309,000

Lowest mintage overall. Look for the small "S" mint mark inside the wreath on the reverse side.

Mintage: 1,115,000

The first branch-mint cent. Extremely popular and always carries a massive premium over Philadelphia issues.

Year	Variety	Identification
1864	"L" on Ribbon	Look for a tiny "L" on the ribbon tail behind Liberty's neck. Tip of bust is pointed.
1873	Doubled LIBERTY	Strong doubling on the word LIBERTY in the headband. A major rarity.
1886	Type I vs Type II	Type II: Lowest feather points between C and A in AMERICA (Scarcer).
1888	8 Over 7	Look for a "blob" or the top of a 7 protruding from the top left of the last 8.
1894	Doubled Date	Strong doubling visible on the 1894; often looks like a "shifted" strike.

Quick Rule: The headband is the first place to show wear. Use this to estimate grade in seconds:

Good (G-4): Headband is visible, but "LIBERTY" is worn away or only a few letters show.
Very Good (VG-8): At least three letters of "LIBERTY" are clearly readable.
Fine (F-12): All seven letters of "LIBERTY" are visible, though some may be weak.
Very Fine (VF-20): All letters are sharp. Look for the Four Diamonds in the ribbon to be partially visible.
Extra Fine (EF-40): All letters sharp; the diamonds are clear; only slight wear on the hair and feather tips.