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Top 10 Most Valuable Indian Head Pennies
Did you know that the top 10 most valuable Indian Head pennies all add up to a value of just over $1,000,000?
These US one cent pieces from the dates 1859-1909 are known as Indian Head pennies and all sold at auction for record prices.
Valuable Indian Head Pennies At A Glance
- 1868 MS66+RD ($72,000)
- 1888 MS63BR ($74,750)
- 1869 MS66+RD ($84,000)
- 1890 MS67+RD ($91,062.50)
- 1909 S MS67RD ($97,750)
- 1877 PR67RD ($97,750)
- 1899 MS68RD ($108,000)
- 1872 MS66RD ($126,500)
- 1877 MS66RD ($149,500)
- 1864 L On Ribbon PR65RD CAM ($152,750)
- 1864 L On Ribbon PR65RB ($161,000)
#10) 1868 Indian Head Cent
- Designer: James Barton Longacre
- Mint: Philadelphia (No Mint Mark)
- Metal Composition: 95% Copper - 5% Tin & Zinc
- Diameter: 19mm
- Weight: 3.11 grams
- Mintage: 10,266,500
- Value: $72,000 (MS66+RD)
#9) 1888 Indian Head Cent (8 over 7)
- Designer: James Barton Longacre
- Mint: Philadelphia (No Mint Mark)
- Metal Composition: 95% Copper - 5% Tin & Zinc
- Diameter: 19mm
- Weight: 3.11 grams
- Mintage: 37,489,832
- Value: $74,750 (MS63BN)
#8) 1869 Indian Head Cent
- Designer: James Barton Longacre
- Mint: Philadelphia (No Mint Mark)
- Metal Composition: 95% Copper - 5% Tin & Zinc
- Diameter: 19mm
- Weight: 3.11 grams
- Mintage: 6,420,000
- Value: $84,000 (MS66+RD)
#7) 1890 Indian Head Cent
- Designer: James Barton Longacre
- Mint: Philadelphia (No Mint Mark)
- Metal Composition: 95% Copper - 5% Tin & Zinc
- Diameter: 19mm
- Weight: 3.11 grams
- Mintage: 57,180,114
- Value: $91,062.50 (MS67+RD)
#6) 1909 S Indian Head Cent
- Designer: James Barton Longacre
- Mint: San Francisco (S)
- Metal Composition: 95% Copper - 5% Tin & Zinc
- Diameter: 19mm
- Weight: 3.11 grams
- Mintage: 309,000
- Value: $97,750 (MS67RD)
#5) 1877 Indian Head Cent (Proof)
- Designer: James Barton Longacre
- Mint: Philadelphia (No Mint Mark)
- Metal Composition: 95% Copper - 5% Tin & Zinc
- Diameter: 19mm
- Weight: 3.11 grams
- Mintage: 900
- Value: $97,750 (PR67RD)
#4) 1899 Indian Head Cent
- Designer: James Barton Longacre
- Mint: Philadelphia (No Mint Mark)
- Metal Composition: 95% Copper - 5% Tin & Zinc
- Diameter: 19mm
- Weight: 3.11 grams
- Mintage: 53,598,000
- Value: $108,000 (MS68RD)
#3) 1872 Indian Head Cent
- Designer: James Barton Longacre
- Mint: Philadelphia (No Mint Mark)
- Metal Composition: 95% Copper - 5% Tin & Zinc
- Diameter: 19mm
- Weight: 3.11 grams
- Mintage: 4,042,000
- Value: $126,500 (MS66RD)
#2) 1877 Indian Head Cent
- Designer: James Barton Longacre
- Mint: Philadelphia (No Mint Mark)
- Metal Composition: 95% Copper - 5% Tin & Zinc
- Diameter: 19mm
- Weight: 3.11 grams
- Mintage: 852,500
- Value: $149,500 (MS66RD)
#2) 1864 L on Ribbon Indian Cent (Proof)
- Designer: James Barton Longacre
- Mint: Philadelphia (No Mint Mark)
- Metal Composition: 95% Copper - 5% Tin & Zinc
- Diameter: 19mm
- Weight: 3.11 grams
- Mintage: 20
- Value: $152,750 (PR65RD CAM)
#1) 1864 L on Ribbon Indian Cent (Proof)
- Designer: James Barton Longacre
- Mint: Philadelphia (No Mint Mark)
- Metal Composition: 95% Copper - 5% Tin & Zinc
- Diameter: 19mm
- Weight: 3.11 grams
- Mintage: 20
- Value: $161,000 (PR65RB)
This 1864 L on the Ribbon proof is the most expensive Indian Head penny ever sold at auction. There are only around 20 of these coins known to exist.
This Snow-PR2 variety sold at Heritage Auctions on 13th October 2011 for a record breaking $161,000.
In fact, most of the top 10 most expensive Indian Head cents ever sold are 1864 L on the Ribbon proofs because they are so rare.
This cent is graded PR65RB by PCGS with certificate number 4332392 and it's also CAC certified as well.
1864 was the first year that these cents were made from bronze and the designer James Longacre added his initial 'L' to the ribbon behind the neck of the Indian's Head.
Rick Snow is a series expert for Indian Head pennies and he has identified three different varieties of the 1864 L on the Ribbon proof coins.
He has named them Snow-PR1 of which seven are known, Snow-PR2 of which 10 are known and Snow-PR3 of which only one example is known.
If you look at the die line just below the Indian's jawline, you can tell that this cent is a Snow-PR2. All PR2 coins feature this line.
Another distinctive feature of a PR2 is the die lines on the reverse near the olive leaves on the far left. They are quite hard to make out on this example.
