1859 1C Copper Nickel Indian Head Cent NGC AU53 About Uncirculated Coin

Product Description

An 1859 (Philadelphia Struck) 1C Copper-Nickel Indian Head Cent graded About Uncirculated 53 (AU-53) by NGC. This piece displays an original dark hazel brown copper/nickel color/tone and excellent visible details. The total mintage for this date & mint: 49,840,000. Please view our photos for additional information and ask any questions prior to purchase.

The Indian Head cent was a one cent piece minted from 1859-1909. Designed by James B. Longacre, this series of one cent experienced three different varieties and two different compositions during its mintage. Beginning in the mid 1850’s, the need for a new one cent piece was dire. The price of copper was slowly increasing, and political tensions in the southern states did not add any relief. Prior to the implementation of the small cents, a standard cent was roughly the size of a silver half dollar; by comparison the new, smaller cents were downgraded from a 29 mm diameter to a 19 mm diameter, slightly larger than a dime. Initial strikes starting in 1859 featured a Copper-Nickel composition (.880 copper, .120 nickel), a total weight of 4.67 grams and featured a profiled bust of lady Liberty depicting her in a traditional native american headdress on the obverse while the reverse featured a laurel wreath with ‘ONE CENT’ in the center. The design on the reverse was changed starting in 1860 which featured an oak wreath with a shield and ‘ONE CENT’ centered inside. 1860-1864 strikes kept the same parameters as the 1859 in weight and composition until mid 1864 when the composition was changed to bronze (.950 copper, .050 tin and zinc) and the weight was lowered to 3.11 grams. Longacre’s last initial ‘L’ also appeared on the ribbon in Liberty’s hair. All Indian Head cents were struck at the Philadelphia Mint and in the last two years of mintage (1908-1909) they were also struck at the San Francisco mint. The mintmark ‘S’ can be found below the ribbon of the oak wreath.