Indian Head Copper-Nickel Cents 1859-1864 Coin Guide

The Indian Head Copper-Nickel Cents were minted from 1859 to 1864. Many coins have these important subsets and this is one of the most important in history because of the era. These are Civil War Era pennies and those with an interest in Civil War Era memorabelia not only collect those items but also the coins of the era making them more challenging for the coin collector to acquire in a really decent condition.

As always, after your initial collecting stage, the next phase should be getting the best coin you can afford for the time and year and set you want. For example, if you are going to spend $100 on coins, don't buy ten coins, buy one or two in a better condition. This couldn't be more true of any coin but for the The Indian Head Copper-Nickel Cent, it is more important for three very important reasons:

1. These were the first pennies after the Flying Eagle Cents that was actually accepted by the public. The Flying Eagle Cent was only minted for a very short time and had deficiencies in its design, it often emerged weakly struck, especially at the eagle's tail and wingtip. The Indian Head Copper-Nickel Cents were brilliantly struck with a stunning design.

2. The time in history. It entered the nation's commerce on the eve of the Civil War. Perhaps in anticipation of the coming crisis.

3. These coins were made in much smaller quantities than today's Pennies. In fact, the total number of Indian Head Pennies made in the entire five years between 1861 and 1865 is about equal to the number of Lincoln Pennies made every week today! Plus, the vast majority of the Civil War era Pennies were worn out in circulation, lost, destroyed, or withdrawn from circulation by the U.S. Treasury when the Lincoln Penny was introduced in 1909. Even with these statistics, this era of the penny is obtainable and, as of now, still affordable.