Indian Head cent

1869 Indian Head Penny Value

There is no common 1869 penny: the 1869 Indian Head Penny (about $96.00 when worn) is a key date. Worth looking for: the 1869/69 Indian Head Penny, repunched date (about $260 when worn).

1869 penny: front (type example, 1860 Indian Head cent) — Type example: 1860 Indian Head cent and 1860 wreath and shield reverse. Your coin's date and mint mark may differ. This example is copper-nickel (pale); bronze Indian Head pennies, made from 1864, look coppery.
Photo credits
National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History (photo: Jaclyn Nash) (PD; front, back)

1869 penny: back (type example, 1860 wreath and shield reverse) — Type example: 1860 Indian Head cent and 1860 wreath and shield reverse. Your coin's date and mint mark may differ. This example is copper-nickel (pale); bronze Indian Head pennies, made from 1864, look coppery.
Photo credits
National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History (photo: Jaclyn Nash) (PD; front, back)

Check your own 1869 penny

Take a photo of each side. Penny Value helps you narrow down which 1869 penny you have and what to check.

Check your own penny

Penny Value is an Android app for now, so it isn't on the App Store. The values and checks on this page are free to use.Penny Value is an Android app. Open this page on your Android phone to check your own penny with a photo.

Every 1869 penny

Worn = typical value when worn (Good to Very Fine); MS-60 = uncirculated. Values as of Q4 2026 · Penny Value estimates · not an offer to buy.

1869
Philadelphia · Included in the 6,420,000 1869 total; not counted separately.
Semi-key
$96.00worn
$780MS-60
1869/69 (repunched date)
Philadelphia · Included in the 6,420,000 1869 total; not counted separately.
Variety
$260worn
$1,100MS-60
1869 Proof
Philadelphia · Proof · 600 made
Proof
$200proof

The proof penny listed here was sold to collectors in sets, so you won't normally find it in change.

Looking for the 1869 two-cent piece? That is a different coin; this page covers one-cent pennies.

How to tell them apart

Date 1869; a low-mintage year of the 1860s: 1869
Also check the date for a repunched 1869/69 variety: 1869
The digits of the date, especially 1 and 8, show traces of an earlier date punch: 1869/69 (repunched date)

Mint marks

All 1869 pennies made for circulation were struck in Philadelphia and have no mint mark.

Questions

How much is an 1869 Indian Head penny worth?

There is no common 1869 penny: the 1869 Indian Head Penny (about $96.00 when worn) is a key date. Worth looking for: the 1869/69 Indian Head Penny, repunched date (about $260 when worn). These are Penny Value estimates as of Q4 2026, for information only.

Which 1869 pennies are worth the most?

Among 1869 pennies made for circulation: the 1869/69 Indian Head Penny, repunched date (about $260 when worn) and the 1869 Indian Head Penny (about $96.00 when worn). Valuable pennies are often faked or altered, so check the signs first. Grading costs about $30–$70, so it usually pays only for coins worth more than about $150.

Where is the mint mark on an 1869 penny?

All 1869 pennies made for circulation were struck in Philadelphia and have no mint mark.

← 1868 pennies · Penny value chart · 1870 pennies →

Every Indian Head Cent (bronze)