The first successful small penny in United States coinage was the “Indian head” one cent coin, produced from 1859 until 1909. The coin’s design did not actually feature a Native American head per se; it was a portrait of lady Liberty wearing an Indian head dress. The Indian penny was made of mostly copper, with nickel added in the first few years, and zinc or tin after 1864.
The first year of the Indian head cent featured a laurel wreath on the reverse; subsequent issues changed this to an oak wreath with a shield on top. Both designs featured the phrase ONE CENT.
Indian head pennies are common collectors’ items now, and scarce and higher-grade examples are beloved cornerstones of many collections. Buyers looking for Indian head pennies should check current listings for the latest for-sale offers. In 1909, the Indian head penny gave way to the Lincoln wheat penny.