Grading the Indian Head Cent

The Indian Head cent (1859–1909) shows Liberty in a feather headdress (not an actual Native American). It comes in two metals: pale copper-nickel 'fatty' cents from 1859 to mid-1864, then thinner red bronze (95% copper) from 1864 to 1909. The number-one grading trick is the word LIBERTY on the headband: the more of those seven letters you can read, the higher the circulated grade (a 'Full LIBERTY' coin is worth more). Also check the diamonds on the ribbon and the feather tips. On the bronze coins, color matters a lot. RD (Red) is worth far more than RB (Red-Brown) or BN (Brown), and cleaning, spots, or green verdigris permanently ruin copper. The big rarity is the 1877 (heavily faked, often by altering an 1879), and the first S-mint cents are the 1908-S and 1909-S (watch for added 'S' fakes). The 1864 'L' (Longacre's initial on the ribbon) is a sought-after variety.

At a glance

Years	1859–1909
Designer	James B. Longacre
Denomination	Cents
Composition	Two compositions. 1859–1864: copper-nickel ('white'/'fatty' thick cents), 88% copper / 12% nickel. 1864 (mid-year)–1909: bronze, 95% copper with tin and zinc. The 1864 change both thinned the coin and switched it to red copper. RD/RB/BN color designations apply ONLY to the 1864–1909 bronze issues.
Diameter	19.0 mm (both compositions)
Weight	Copper-nickel (1859–1864): 4.67 g · Bronze (1864–1909): 3.11 g
Edge	Plain
Mints	Philadelphia (no mintmark, 1859–1909), San Francisco ('S', 1908 and 1909 only)

Composition over time

Period	Composition
1859–1864	Copper-nickel, 88% copper / 12% nickel (thick 'fatty' cent, 4.67 g)
1864–1909	Bronze, 95% copper with tin and zinc (thin, 3.11 g)

Major subtypes

Subtype	Years
Copper-nickel, laurel-wreath reverse	1859, one-year reverse type; thick pale 'fatty' cent
Copper-nickel, oak-wreath & shield reverse	1860–1864, thick copper-nickel cents with the shield reverse
Bronze	1864–1909, thin 95% copper bronze; color (RD/RB/BN) becomes a grading factor; includes the 1864 'L' subtype

Where wear shows first

LIBERTY on the headband (the classic circulated-grade gauge, count how many of the seven letters are visible/full)
The diamonds on the ribbon of the headdress
The feather tips of the headdress
The hair curls above the ribbon and around the ear

Other points to check

The cheek and the tip of the bust
Reverse wreath high points and the ribbon/bow

Common weak-strike areas

Tips of the headdress feathers
The diamonds on the ribbon of the headdress
The hair below LIBERTY, the hair around the ear, and the lowest hair curls
The bottom of the N in ONE on the reverse (weak on business strikes from the 1864–1870 hub and again in 1877)

Strike designations

No strike designation. RD/RB/BN color designations apply to the 1864–1909 bronze issues (RD = 95%+ original red, RB = 5–95%, BN = under 5%, at MS60+) but NOT to the 1859–1864 copper-nickel issues. Cameo/Deep Cameo apply to proofs.

Grading circulated coins

LIBERTY on the headband is the primary circulated gauge. As wear increases, the letters of LIBERTY weaken and disappear and the ribbon diamonds flatten. Working benchmarks: at Good the word is mostly worn away; partial LIBERTY appears through the Very Good–Fine range; at Fine (F-12) the entire design is bold and all of LIBERTY is visible though with some weakness, a practical Fine minimum is that the bottom edge of the ribbon (where LIBERTY sits) is not worn completely flat. Full, sharp LIBERTY plus visible diamonds pushes a coin into Very Fine and higher. Always separate genuine wear from the chronic strike weakness in LIBERTY/diamonds/feathers on early dates. Many collectors specifically seek 'Full LIBERTY' circulated key dates.

Grading Mint State coins

Mint State grading combines surface marks, luster, strike, AND color. Color is designated RD (Red), RB (Red-Brown), or BN (Brown) on the bronze issues and is a major value driver, full Red commands large premiums. Strike weakness in the feather tips, diamonds, and hair (especially early dates) should be judged separately from wear; a soft but lustrous diamond is strike, not rub. Carbon/contact spotting is tolerated in MS/PR-65/66 only as minor specks and is essentially disqualifying at MS/PR-67+.

Proof grading

Proofs were struck throughout the series (copper-nickel proofs 1859–1864 and bronze proofs 1864–1909) and receive BN/RB/RD color designations on the bronze proofs just like business strikes. Proof surfaces show hairlines and spotting readily; cleaning and impaired mirrors lower the proof grade. The 1864 'L' exists in proof and is a notable proof rarity.

Key dates

1877, the undisputed series key (low mintage); one of the most counterfeited/altered U.S. coins
1909-S, low-mintage San Francisco issue; one of only two S-mint Indian cents
1908-S, the first S-mint cent ever struck; frequently faked with an added S
1864 'L', bronze 1864 with the designer's initial L on the ribbon; scarcer/more valuable than the No-L 1864 bronze

Semi-key dates

1869, scarce date
1871, scarce date
1872, scarce date, often the second-toughest Philadelphia date after 1877

Major varieties

1864 'L' on ribbon, designer's initial L on the headdress ribbon; commands a premium over the No-L 1864
1873 Open 3 vs Closed 3, two date-punch styles; the Closed 3 is scarcer
1873 Doubled LIBERTY, doubling visible on LIBERTY; scarce (~500–1,000 known, mostly circulated)

Common problems

Carbon spots / 'flyspecks' and corrosion spotting (bronze is reactive copper), minor under magnification is tolerated only at MS/PR-65/66, not at 67+
Improper cleaning, bronze cents show wiping hairlines and unnatural brightness immediately; cleaned copper is net-graded down or gets Details/no-grade and color cannot be restored
Verdigris (green corrosion), environmental damage, and PVC residue
Irreversible color change: copper naturally migrates RD → RB → BN over time; conservation cannot reverse it
Strike-vs-wear confusion on early dates (feathers, diamonds, LIBERTY)

Signs of cleaning or damage

Hairline scratches in the fields from wiping
Unnatural pink/orange or overly bright surfaces inconsistent with natural aging (dipping/recoloring)
Green crusty verdigris in recesses; granular pitting from corrosion
Spotty, splotchy retoning that looks artificial

Toning

Bronze issues (1864–1909) carry RD/RB/BN designations: BN = less than 5% original mint red; RB = 5%–95% red (MS60+); RD = 95% or more red (MS60+). Red commands large premiums. The 1859–1864 copper-nickel issues are a pale alloy and are NOT color-designated. Verdigris/green tone and harsh artificial toning are damage, not desirable toning.

Counterfeit & alteration risks

1877: NGC reports seeing numerous fakes; the most common alteration changes an 1879 into an 1877 (re-tooling the last 9 into a 7), look for tooling/displaced metal in the date. Genuine business-strike 1877s share a die diagnostic: the bottom-right of the N in ONE and top-left of the N in CENT are noticeably weaker than the rest of the denomination
1908-S and 1909-S: extensively faked by adding an 'S' to a Philadelphia 1908 or 1909; the same 'S' punch was used for both years, so a genuine S should match published plate coins
1864 'L': the L is sometimes added by tooling to a No-L coin; authenticate

For the advanced grader

Use LIBERTY as the circulated yardstick (full, sharp LIBERTY plus visible ribbon diamonds = VF+), but on early dates separate true wear from chronic strike weakness in the feather tips, diamonds, hair below LIBERTY, lowest curls, and bust tip; the bottom of the N in ONE is also a known weak hub area (1864–70 and 1877). For Mint State bronze, grade simultaneously on marks, luster, strike, and color, applying RD/RB/BN (95%+, 5–95%, <5% red); Red carries big premiums and color is irreversible (RD→RB→BN) so originality is paramount, reject cleaned/recolored coins. Carbon spotting caps high grades. Authenticate key dates: 1877 (date-alteration tooling from 1879; confirm the weak-N denomination diagnostic) and 1908-S/1909-S (added-S, match the shared 'S' punch to plate coins). Keep the two compositions and their specs distinct (copper-nickel 4.67 g vs bronze 3.11 g).

Photographic examples

Click any image to enlarge and zoom. Where shown, obverse, reverse, and edge views are of the same coin and year.

Same coin: 1860 Indian Head cent (Smithsonian NNC)

Sources: Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) · Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) · Coin World · American Numismatic Association (ANA)

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