- 1896 Indian Head Penny Upside Down Meaning
- 1896 Indian Head Penny Error
- 1896 Indian Head Penny
- 1896 Indian Head Penny In A Lucky Horseshoe
- 1897 Indian Head Penny
1896 Indian Head Penny Being one of the newer Indian Head Pennies produced, the 1896 edition is not nearly as scarce as some of its earlier counterparts. With that being said, collectors who are constantly on the hunt for coins in pristine condition will find that uncovering a well-preserved 1896 Indian Head is not such a simple task. This bronze Indian Head cent is sure to be prized by anyone who loves old U.S. Struck well over a century ago, its obverse depicts Liberty in a Native American headdress. Reverse of coin features oak wreath and shield. The year 1896 witnessed the first edition of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the first modern Olympic Games.
The Indian Head Penny is a one cent coin that was produced by the United States Mint from 1859 through 1909.
On the front of the coin, Liberty is depicted as a Native American wearing a feather head dress with the word 'LIBERTY' on it.
The words 'UNITED STATES OF AMERICA', and the date also appear on the front of the Indian Head Cent.
For the first year, the reverse had the words 'ONE CENT' inside a laurel wreath.
In 1860 this was changed to an oak wreath with a small shield.
The Indian Head Pennies were made up of 88% copper and 12% nickel from 1859 to 1864. Then in 1864 they began making them of bronze which is 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc. The weight of the coins was also reduced.
The early Indian Head Cents also went by the nickname 'Nick' or nickel. This was before there was such a thing as the nickel 5 cent coin we know today. They were given that name because of the nickel they contained.
The Indian Head Pennies lost their nickname in 1866 when five cent nickel coins were produced.
It has been rumored that the model for the Indian likeness was the daughter of James Barton Longacre who designed the Indian Head Penny, but it has not been proven.
In 1908 the Indian Head Penny was produced at the San Francisco Mint. This was the first time that one cent coins were minted anywhere but the Philadelphia Mint.
The Indian Pennies produced at the San Francisco mint have the 'S' mint mark. The coins minted in Philadelphia, however, do not have any identifying mint marks. An Indian Head Penny with and 'S' mint mark is somewhat scarce, hence they are more valuable than other Indian Head Cents.
The Denver Mint did not see one cent coin production until 1911.
There are Three Varieties of Indian Head Pennies
Variety 1 - Copper-Nickel, Laurel Wreath Reverse 1859
| Type | Variety 1 - Copper-Nickel, Laurel Wreath Reverse |
| Designer | James B. Longacre |
| Years Minted | 1859 Only |
| Weight | 4.67 grams |
| Composition | 88% copper, 12% nickel |
| Diameter | approx. 19 mm |
| Edge | plain |
| Mintage | 36,400,000 |
Variety 2 - Copper-Nickel, Oak Wreath With Shield 1860-1864
| Type | Variety 2 - Copper-Nickel, Oak Wreath With Shield |
| Designer | James B. Longacre |
| Years Minted | 1860-1864 |
| Weight | 4.67 grams |
| Composition | 88% copper, 12% nickel |
| Diameter | approx. 19 mm |
| Edge | plain |
| Mintage | 1860 - 20,566,000 1861 - 10,100,000 1862 - 28,075,000 1863 - 49,840,000 1864 - 13,740,000 |
Variety 3 - Bronze 1864-1909
During the Civil War, almost all gold and silver coins disappeared from circulation. Eventually the copper-nickel coins also became scarce. Merchants in larger cities began to issue their own copper tokens so that they would have change for their customers. The government stepped in in 1864 and began issuing its own thin bronze one cent coin. They also made the merchant's tokens illegal.
1896 Indian Head Penny Upside Down Meaning
1896 Indian Head Penny Error
| Type | Variety 3 - Bronze |
| Designer | James B. Longacre |
| Years Minted | 1864-1909 |
| Weight | 3.11 grams |
| Composition | 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc |
| Diameter | approx. 19 mm |
| Edge | plain |
| Mints | Philadelphia - no mint mark San Francisco - S |
| Mintage | PhiladelphiaSan Francisco - S 1864 - 39,233,714 1908S - 1,115,000 1865 - 35,429,286 1909S - 309,000 1866 - 9,826,500 1867 - 9,821,000 1868 - 10,266,500 1869 - 6,420,000 1870 - 5,275,000 1871 - 3,929,500 1872 - 4,042,000 1873 - 11,676,500 1874 - 14,187,500 1875 - 13,528,000 1876 - 7,944,000 1877 - 852,500 1878 - 5,797,500 1879 - 16,228,000 1880 - 38,961,000 1881 - 39,208,000 1882 - 38,578,000 1883 - 45,591,500 1884 - 23,257,800 1885 - 11,761,594 1886 - 17,650,000 1887 - 45,223,523 1888 - 37,489,832 1889 - 48,866,025 1890 - 57,180,114 1891 - 47,070,000 1892 - 37,647,087 1893 - 46,640,000 1894 - 16,749,500 1895 - 38,341,574 1896 - 39,055,431 1897 - 50,464,392 1898 - 48,821,284 1899 - 53,598,000 1900 - 66,831,502 1901 - 79,609,158 1902 - 87,374,704 1903 - 85,092,703 1904 - 61,326,198 1905 - 80,717,011 1906 - 96,020,530 1907 - 108,137,143 1908 - 32,326,367 1909 - 14,368,470 |
1896 Indian Head Penny
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