1887 Indian Head Penny
- The design of the Indian Head Penny was the brainchild of James Longacre, the acting engraver of the US Mint. In a letter to the director of the US Mint James Snowden, Longacre made his case for his newly incepted design by saying.
- Although somewhat controversial, it is believed that an 1887 Indian Head cent hub was reused to produce the 1888 Indian Head cents. The lower part of the last numeral in the date can still be seen sticking out from the lower-left corner of the '8.' This is the rarest and one of the most valuable Indian Head penny varieties found so far.
Indian Head USA one cent (penny) values, pg 2 (1873 to 1890) Indian Head USA one cent (penny) values, pg 3 (1891 to 1909) further detail in 'notes' www.allcoinvalues.com.
- 1882 Indian Head Pennies
Coin Info
1882 Indian Head cents are commonly encountered at most U.S. coin shops, and they often turn up in rolls of mixed-date Indian Head pennies. While 1882 cents are only rarely, if ever, found in circulation or standard bank rolls, they’re plentiful in the numismatic community, and there are plenty to go around in terms of meeting current demand.
38,581,100 Indian Head pennies were made in 1882, and these are generally worth about $3 for an original, uncleaned specimen in a grade of Good-4. 3,100 proof Indian Head pennies were made in 1882, and these retail for about $1,450 for a choice specimen. As 1882 pennies are quite common, it makes sense to buy the best specimen you can afford, and you should therefore avoid buying cleaned, damaged pieces as these, though quite cheap, aren’t particularly desirable to most coin collectors.
Indian Head pennies were designed by Chief Engraver of the United States Mint James B. Longacre and were first produced in 1859. Along with 1882 Indian Head pennies, Longacre also designed the two-cent coin – the first U.S. coin to bear the words IN GOD WE TRUST. As for Indian Head pennies, many people think they depict an actual Native American. The figure on the coin is a representation of Miss Liberty, who was, in this case, modeled after Longacre’s 12-year-old daughter, Sarah.
