The Philadelphia mint produced 37,489,832 Indian head pennies in 1888. 1888 Indian head penny value*ġ888 Indian head penny without a mint mark Both regular coins and proofs were without a particular mint mark. In 1888, only a Philadelphia mint produced these pennies. Since the Indian head penny was minted for half a century, it is one of America’s longest-produced coins ever. There is also a shield above the coin value. You can also see an oak wreath surrounding the words ONE CENT in the middle of the coin reverse. The surrounding legend includes the date and the inscription of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. It seems that Sarah, Longacre’s 12-year-old daughter, was a model for this image. It is actually a Lady Liberty with a feathered headdress on her head. 1888 Indian head penny valueĮven though many Americans believe that this coin pays tribute to Native Americans, the head on the obverse is not an Indian chief. This coin replaced the Flying Eagle, the first nation small cent. Longacre, the US Mint chief engraver, designed the Indian head penny in 1859. The most expensive piece in this series is an error stuck this year. Nowadays, 1888 Indian head penny value depends on its quality and color variations ranging from a cheaper deep brown to highly appreciated rich red. In 1888, this coin was minted in Philadelphia only. Their weight was reduced, a small L appeared as Longacre’s initials, and new penny alloy changed to 95% copper and 5% zinc and tin. The first coins minted by 1864 contained 88% copper and 12% nickel, but it was changed in 1864. The US Mint was producing Indian head pennies from January 1, 1859, to 1909.

Indian head penny 1898 value