Proof examples, meanwhile, were made in a much smaller quantity of just 3,790 pieces and sell for $1,500.Ĭhief Engraver of the United States Mint James B. Good-4 specimens of the 1885 penny retail for around $6. Plenty were struck to meet today’s demands from coin collectors, however, 1885 pennies are considered a better date by most coin collectors and are not as frequently found in rolls of mixed Indian Head pennies as other issues from the 1880s are.ġ1,761,594 Indian Head pennies were made in 1885, which is a substantial number but nowhere near the 30 to 40+ million seen in most other years from that decade. coin to bear the motto IN GOD WE TRUST.1885 Indian Head cents represent the lowest mintage penny of the 1880s, though even still this is a relative statement.

Longacre gain fame not just as the creative mind behind the Indian Head penny (which actually features a bust of his daughter, Sarah), but he was also the designer of the two-cent piece. He served as the Chief Engraver at the United States Mint from 1844 until his passing in 1869.

Longacre designed 1896 Indian Head pennies. Mint also struck proof 1896 pennies, though these were made in a much small quantity of just 1,862 coins.

In a grade of Good-4, those sell for around $2. In fact, 39,057,293 business strikes were made for commerce purposes. Most 1896 pennies are snapped up by numismatists who are assembling type sets, and they are also pursued by coin collectors who are putting together a series collection of Indian Head pennies.ġ896 Indian Head cents were struck in large numbers. However, 1896 pennies are widely available at most coin shops and are frequently encountered in mixed-date rolls and bags. 1896 Indian Head cents are common coins from the numismatic perspective, which might not seem to be the case given the fact that these old pennies are virtually impossible to find in circulation these days.

1898 indian head penny worth