1873 Indian Head Cent Key Date Issue Classic Reconstruction Era Copper ☆☆ 253

Denomination: Small Cent

Coin: Indian Head

Composition: Copper

Year: 1873

Color: BN

Fineness: 0.95

Strike Type: Business

Mint Location: Philadelphia

Variety: Copper Bronze

Country of Origin: United States

Struck at the Philadelphia Mint during the Reconstruction era, the 1872 Indian Head Cent is a famous major key date in the entire series. With a mintage of just over 4 million coins—very low for small cents of the era—and massive loss through heavy commerce and melting, the 1872 is exceptionally scarce in all grades.

Unlike common dates from the late 1880s and 1890s, finding an 1872 with clear, strong detail is a major challenge for Lincoln and Indian Head cent enthusiasts. Grade Fine detail is a critical benchmark for this key date, as it boasts a fully legible LIBERTY across the headband. While this piece exhibits environmental corrosion typical of buried or stored 19th-century copper, it offers a rare, highly affordable entry point for an absolute cornerstone issue in the series.