1908 Indian Head Penny

• 1908 Indian Head Penny Error
• 1908 Indian Head Penny Worth Today
• 1908 Indian Head Penny Necklace
• 1908 Indian Head Penny Worth

The first 'big coin' I ever owned was a 1908-S Indian Cent. It was graded VG-Fine and was priced at $35. This was circa 1963. If I was doing an Indian Head set. In 1908 and 1909 a second mint - San Francisco - began striking Indian pennies. San Francisco mint placed an 'S' mintmark on the reverse, at the bottom of the coin, below the ribbon.

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

Variety 2 - Copper-Nickel, Oak Wreath With Shield 1860-1864

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.

1908 Indian Head Penny Error

Return From Indian Head Penny to US Coins

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

Variety 2 - Copper-Nickel, Oak Wreath With Shield 1860-1864

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.

1908 Indian Head Penny Error

Return From Indian Head Penny to US Coins

• 1908 Indian Head Pennies

Coin Info

1908 marks the year of an important first for Indian Head pennies – the first mintmarked issue. San Francisco ('S' mint) struck pennies for the very first time, and these 1908-S Indian Head pennies are decidedly much scarcer than their Philadelphia counterparts. 1908 pennies (those from the City of Brotherly Love, that is), are quite common and are readily found in most bags and rolls of mixed-date Indian Head cents. The 1908-S penny, however, is much more difficult to find.

1908 Indian Head Penny Worth Today

Here's a breakdown of mintages and values of the three types of 1908 Indian Head pennies:

• 1908 (Philadelphia), 32,326,367 minted; $2

• 1908-S, 1,115,000; $80

• 1908 proof, 1,620; $1,275

*Values are for coins in a grade of Good-4, unless otherwise noted.

1908 Indian Head Penny Necklace

The 1908-S Indian Head penny is considered a semi-key date and should be bought with some discretion. Don't just buy any 1908-S penny. You should be careful to avoid cleaned, bent, or otherwise damaged specimens. Those will not appreciate in value very well, and you may not like having those imperfect pieces in your coin collection (unless you're trying to fill a hole in your Indian Head penny album on the cheap). Quality, original specimens exist and can be found with some extra searching.

1908 Indian Head Penny Worth