U.S. Mint coin reference

Indian Head Cent

Classic copper-nickel and bronze small cent reference.

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Coin specifications and design

Years made: 1859-1909

Country: United States

Denomination: One cent

Category: Circulating coin

Composition: Bronze 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc after 1864; earlier copper-nickel issues 1859-1864

Silver fineness: None

Silver weight: 0.00 oz ASW

Weight: 4.67 g copper-nickel; 3.11 g bronze

Diameter: 19.0 mm

Thickness: Approx. 1.52 mm

Edge: Plain

Designer: James B. Longacre

Design identification

Obverse: Liberty facing left in a feathered headdress inscribed LIBERTY.

Indian Head Cent history

The Indian Head cent was introduced in 1859 as the successor to the short-lived Flying Eagle cent. Designed by James B. Longacre, the coin actually depicts Liberty wearing a Native American-style feathered headdress rather than a specific Indigenous person. Early pieces used a copper-nickel alloy, but in 1864 the Mint changed to a lighter bronze composition. The long-running series continued through 1909, when the Lincoln cent replaced it during the centennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth.