1859 Indian Head Cent Brown Circulated Details First Year of Issue 219

Denomination: Small Cent

Coin: Indian Head

Composition: Copper

Year: 1859

Color: BN

Strike Type: Business

Fineness: 0.95

Mint Location: Philadelphia

KM Number: 109

Variety: Copper Bronze

Country of Origin: United States

Own a historic first-year piece of American numismatics! Struck at the Philadelphia Mint under President James Buchanan, this 1859 Indian Head Cent represents the one-year-only inaugural design of James B. Longacre's legendary series.

Unique to 1859, the reverse features a Laurel Wreath with no shield at the top—a detail changed the very next year in 1860 to the oak wreath and shield design. Struck in the heavy 88% copper and 12% nickel alloy (famously known as "white cents" or "nickel cents"), this coin circulated heavily on the eve of the Civil War. In an authentic, solid Good (G-4) state of preservation, this coin offers a complete outline, fully readable date, and essential one-year-type status for any small cent collector or U.S. type album builder.