1872 Indian Head Penny Value

1872 Indian Head Cent

Semi-key

About 4 million struck; well-preserved examples are scarce.

1872 Indian Head 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)

1872 Indian Head 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)

Value by condition

Penny Value estimate · values as of Q4 2026

Worn (Good to Very Fine)

$91.00 – $250

G-4 – VF-20

Uncirculated (MS-60)

$790

Brown

By grade

Typical value at each grade and colour. Penny Value estimate.
Grade	Brown	Red-Brown	Red
G-4Good	$91.00	—	—
VG-8Very Good	$140	—	—
F-12Fine	$180	—	—
VF-20Very Fine	$250	—	—
XF-40Extremely Fine	$430	—	—
AU-50About Uncirculated	$530	—	—
MS-60Mint State (Uncirculated)	$790	$830	—
MS-63Mint State (Uncirculated)	$830	$880	$1,900
MS-65Mint State (Uncirculated)	$3,500	$3,700	$8,000

Values as of Q4 2026 · Penny Value estimate · based on 4 recorded sales · few sales, so treat it as a rough guide

Penny Value estimate, 2026-Q4, from public sale records, mintage and survival data. It isn't a price guide or an offer.

How Penny Value estimates values

Check your own penny

Take a photo of each side. Penny Value reads the date and the mint mark, tells you if it could be a 1872 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.

How to identify it

Date 1872
Some coins show a shallow N in ONE on the back

To check yours, photograph

Date close-up

Fakes and look-alikes

Altered dates are known.

Specs

Series: Indian Head Cent (bronze)
Year: 1872
Mint: Philadelphia (no mint mark)
Mint mark: On the back, below the wreath
Metal: Bronze (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc)
Weight: 3.11 g
Mintage: 4 million (4,042,000)
Source: Wikipedia
Designer: James B. Longacre

Other 1872 pennies

1872 Proof
Philadelphia · Proof · 950 made
Proof
$200proof

1872 penny values · Every Indian Head Cent (bronze) · Penny value chart