1898 Indian Cents 1859-1909 MS64BN

History

The Indian Head cent ran from 1859 to 1909, the work of James Barton Longacre, Chief Engraver at the Philadelphia Mint. It came about as an in-house replacement for the Flying Eagle cent, whose high-relief design had caused striking problems, rather than through any public design competition. The 1898 belongs to the long late run of the series, the Type 3 bronze issue that began in mid-1864 when the copper-nickel alloy was abandoned. Philadelphia was the only mint striking cents until 1908, so the 1898 carries no mint mark.

Details

Longacre designed both the obverse and the reverse, the headdress portrait dating to 1858 and the oak wreath and shield reverse to 1859. The coin is bronze, 95 percent copper with the balance tin and zinc, weighing 3.11 grams on a 19 millimeter planchet with a plain edge. Reported business-strike mintages for the date range from 49,821,284 to 49,823,080, the difference amounting to fewer than 1,800 coins.

Features

The obverse shows Liberty facing left in a feathered headdress, with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the rim, the date below, and LIBERTY on the band across the headdress. The reverse places ONE CENT inside an oak wreath bound by a ribbon, with three arrows beneath the ribbon and a shield at the top; there is no motto on this reverse type. Mint marks on the series sit below the wreath, a position that goes unused on this Philadelphia issue. One die variety is catalogued for the date, a Misplaced Date listed as FS-402 and Snow-5, with certified populations in the single digits at both major grading services.

Notable facts

• Proof Indian cents were struck for 1898 alongside the business strikes.
• Known 1898 mint errors include a laminated planchet example, a piece struck 15 percent off center at 3 o'clock, and an obverse double struck in collar.
• At MS65 Brown, NGC has certified 82 examples with 13 finer and PCGS 44 with 2 finer.
• The 1898 is a common date, and prices for Brown examples track condition rather than scarcity of the date itself.
• The claim that Longacre used his daughter as the model for the headdress portrait is folklore rather than established fact.