USA 1 cent Indian Head 1873
USA, Philadelphia
Rarity
Extremely Rare
Attributes of Coins
| Region | USA |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 1 cent |
| Krause number | KM# 90a |
| Mintage | 1,100 |
| Metal | Bronze |
| thickness | 1.5 mm |
| diameter | 19 mm |
| weight | 3.11 g |
Obverse:
People
Creators:
James Barton Longacre
LIBERTY
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Reverse:
Wreath
Creators:
James Barton Longacre
ONE CENT
Introduction of Coins
All 1873 proof cents were coined with a Closed 3 obverse die, even though many of these were undoubtedly struck after adoption of the Open 3. In all likelihood, the Mint believed that it didn't really matter how readable the date was on a non-circulating coin and didn't want to prepare a new proof die. With the general increase in the collecting of United States coins during the early 1870s, sales of the silver proof set rose to over 1000 sets this year. The number of additional proof cents sold with the minor sets is unknown. Fully red gems are very scarce. The polishing of the dies was heavy and crude, a typical feature for most proofs of this period. There appears to have been little attempt to impart cameo contrast to the dies, and thus to the resulting coins.Read More
