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Indian Head cent key dates cheat sheet (no prices)
Most late Indian Head cents are common. Pull 1877, 1908-S, 1909-S, plus better early copper-nickel dates. 1909-S VDB is a Lincoln, not an Indian. Not a price list.
Most Indian Head cents from the 1880s–1907 are common in worn grades. Pull the short list. Not a price list. Wheat keys if the same jar has Lincolns.
What to pull
- 1877 — the key
- 1908-S and 1909-S — first San Francisco cents
- 1872 and other tough 1870s
- Early copper-nickel (1859–1864) as a type, especially problem-free
- 1859 (laurel, no shield) as a one-year reverse
1909-S VDB is a Lincoln, not an Indian. Overlap year. Look at the portrait.
Usually bulk
1900–1907 Philadelphia in worn grades. A 1901 is not an 1877.
People also ask
Is 1909 the key Indian? 1909-S is. 1909-P is not.
Are they silver? No.
Continue in the coin and money library. Related visitor guides: for shop visitors.
How we dump a jar
1900s Indians stay in the type bowl unless the mint mark is S (1908-S, 1909-S) or the date is in the 1870s. 1859–1864 copper-nickel we pull as a type because they feel different.
1864 exists in copper-nickel and bronze. The bronze with an L on the ribbon is a collected variety. Indian Head cents. Flying Eagle if the eagle is in flight.
Do not clean a dark 1877 hoping the date pops. Don’t clean.
Same jar as wheat keys and Flying Eagles. Sort portraits first, then dates. A dark common 1902 is not an 1877. Old is not rare.
If the date is gone, it is a type cent, not a key. We do not guess 1877 from a blob.