Just a year earlier, the US Mint was producing nearly twice as many Indian Head One Cent coins. The 1876 Indian Head Penny has a total mintage of just under 8 million. Compare that to other coins in the series, which have mintages that exceed 50 million and it is easy to see why this one cent coin is so collectible. Not only were fewer produced, just a couple thousand are thought to still exist and mint condition versions are thought to number in just the dozens.
Design Details
The US Mint was busy making changes when it came to other coins, but they continued to produce the basically the same Indian Head Penny that had first been created in 1859. The design features a female profile, which is meant to represent the goddess Liberty. She is wearing a traditional Indian chief headdress and has flowing hair. This image was designed to speak to the early history of America. The reverse side of the coin includes an oak wreath that is topped with a shield.
Originally, one cent coins were made using a combination of nickel and copper, which gave rise to the nickname “nicks” or “nickels.” By the end of the Civil War, nickel was in short supply, which prompted the government to switch to a lighter alloy that is largely copper with some tin and zinc.
1876 Indian Head Penny Value
An average condition coin can go for $30 while a certified mint condition version is worth over $400.
Type of coin: Penny
Year: 1876
Mint Mark: Philadelphia
Total mintage: 7,944,000
Metal content: 95% Copper, 5% Tin and Zinc
Face value: One Cent
Weight: 3.11 grams
Edge: Plain
Designer: James Barton Longacre
Diameter: 19 millimeters