1862

The Indian Cent was designed by James B. Longacre. The coin has a weight of 4.67 grams, a diameter of 19mm, an a plain rim. From 1859 to the middle of 1964 the Indian Cent were 88% copper and 12% nickel which gave them a light color, same as the Flying Eagle Cent. From midway through 1864 to 1909 the composition was changed that of Bronze: 95% Copper and a 5% alloy of Zinc and Tin. Like the Flying Eagle, the early Indian Cent was sometimes called a ‘white cent’, because of its color, and ‘nickel cent’ or ‘nick’, stemming from their composition (remember, the first five cent piece to be called a nickel was seven years later in 1866!). All specimens were struck in Philadelphia except for the last two years, 1908 and 1909, which were minted in both Philadelphia and San Francisco.