Lot 145
1864 Indian Head Cent. Bronze, with "L". MS-63 Brown. Mostly bright in color and well struck for this revised design which added the designers initial L (for Longacre) on the tiny ribbon at the back of Liberty's head. These were also struck on a new alloy known as French Bronze (95% copper and 5% tin) which replaced the hated nickel alloy of the prior small cent years of 88% copper and 12% nickel. The nickel alloy was very hard to work with for coining purposes, as nickel is a very hard metal which tends to crack dies much more quickly than the softer copper/tin alloy used for these. Struck in limited quantities, the 1864-L Indian cent remains one of the semi-key dates of the series.
Estimated Value $300 - 350.
|
| |
| Realized $529 |
