Indian Head Cents (1859-1909)

Design

The reverse of the 1859 first-year Indian Head coins featured the inscription "one cent" surrounded by a laurel wreath, which, in 1860, was changed to an oak wreath topped by a small shield. A slightly sharper portrait was created near the end of 1864 and included designer James B. Longacre’s initial "L" on the lower ribbon behind the neck. Indian pennies were struck in bronze through the end of the series in 1909.

Composition

From 1859-1864, Indian Head pennies were struck in an 88% copper and 12% nickel alloy, which gave them a pale appearance and the nickname “white cents.” Copper-nickel Indian Head coins of 1859-1864 were hoarded during the Civil War and were replaced in circulation by privately issued bronze tokens. As a result, the composition of Indian Head cents was changed to bronze during 1864 and the issuance of private tokens was made illegal.