The 1859 Indian head penny is not easy to find in Mint State, but it can be worth thousands of dollars if you find it. These coins do not have silver content, which makes them very high value. Due to their more than 160 years of life, they are not easy to find in a good state and define their value. In this post, we will cover their features, errors, and types. Let’s get started with the 1859 Indian Head penny coin value.
Indian Head Penny History
The Indian penny’s first time was made in 1859. The design of these pennies was made by Chief Engraver James Barton Longacre, which comes with the Lady Liberty photo. In the 1950s the copper process increased, which urged the mint to make small-size coins and then make flying eagle pennies from 1856 to 1858.
The changes in copper prices also affect the composition, and that changes to 88 percent copper and 12 percent nickel from 90 percent copper.
With that, some changes were also made in the design of the coins that were called the Indian head penny. Indian pennies were made from 1895 to 1909 by P Mint. Their composition was 88 percent copper and 12 percent nickel alloy. The 1859 pennies were used for circulation for 50 years and then replaced with the Lincoln penny in 1909.
| MintLocation | Mint Mark | Quantity |
| Philadelphia | 1859 penny (no mint mark) | 36,400,000 |
| Philadelphia | 1859 proof penny (no mint mark) |
Estimated 800
|
| Total | / | 36,400,800 |
1859 Indian Head Penny Value Chart
| Mint Mark | Good | Fine | Extremely Fine | Uncirculated | Proof | MS 60 | MS63 | PR64 |
| 1859 Indian Head Penny | $24 | $35 | $160 | $32,500 | / | $435 | $950 | $1,750 |
| 1859 Proof Indian Head Penny | / | / | / | $19,000 | $2,107+ | |||
| 1859 Type 2 Back Indian Head Penny | / | / | / | $1,200 | / |
Some Changes to the Indian Head Penny
The Indian head pennies were made from 1859 to 1909, and in these coins, design changes were made between 1860 and 1864. The Indian head cent made in 1959 comes with Liberty wearing an Indian headdress motif on the front side of the coin; made on the base side was a laurel wreath. These coins were struck on a hard copper-nickel alloy.
For the Indian pennies that were made from 1860 onward, the backside design changed to an oak wreath surmounted with a federal shield. The 1860 coin’s reverse side is known as changes made to Longacre’s original design.
1959 Indian Head Penny Specifications
| Indian Head Cent |
Laurel Wreath Reverse
|
| Years: | 1859 |
| Mintage: | 36,400,000 |
| (Proof): | 800 |
| Alloy: |
Copper 0.880, Nickel 0.120
|
| Weight: | 4.67 g |
| Diameter: | 19.00 mm |
| Edge: | Plain |
| OBV Designer: |
James Barton Longacre
|
1859 Indian Head Penny Features
the obverse of the 1859 Indian Head Penny
The 1859 Indian Head pennies come with a left-facing Lady Liberty photo wearing an Indian dress. The word LIBERTY is written about Liberty Band. On this side, the minting date is also written, and the country name, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, is also written.
The reverse of the 1859 Indian Head Penny
The back, or reverse side, of coins comes with a ONE CENT denomination and laurel wreath. This design was just used only in 1959; after that, coins on the reverse side came with a small shield and oak wreath.
Some other features of the 1959 Indian head cent are
- The face value of a coin is one cent.
- It has a round shape and is made with a composition of copper-nickel alloy.
- Its thickness is 0.09055 inches, and its diameter is 19.05 mm.
- It has a plain edge, and its weight is 0.16472 ounces.
1859 No mint mark Indian Head Penny Value
In 1859, the P mint made about 36,400,000 Indian Head pennies, and it was a high number of coins at that time. These coins do not have mint marks since they were made by P mint.
These coins were better struck as compared to previously made eagle coins. Their larger number makes the easy-to-access coins also in good condition and circulation condition. The gem condition 18950 pennies are rare and have a high value.
The 1859 Indian Head pennies have a value in the range of 10 to 390 dollars or higher based on conditions for circulation condition.
The uncirculated 1859 Indian pennies can be about $32,500. The high-value 1859 MS66 grade sold in the 2012 auction for $34,500 in 2012. These coins are in circulation, and some are hoarded and have a rare nature that can be valued at thousands of dollars.
In good condition they can sell for 24 to 32 dollars, and high rank are high-cost coins. Such as AU condition coins have a value range of $215 to $420.
The 1959 Indian head for the different mint states has value as
- 1859 MS 60 = $435
- 1859 MS 61 = $500
- 1859 MS 62 = t $675
- 1859 MS 63 = $950
- 1859 MS 64 = $1,700
- 1859 MS 65 = $3,000
- 1859 MS 66 – $5,750
1859 proof Indian Head Penny without mint mark value
There were about 800 proof coins made by P mint in 1859, and they are less than other coins. These proof coins are first made in the Indian Head penny series. The design of these coins was used famously at the end of 1859, and in 1860 their design changed.