1886 Indian Head Penny, Type 1 Value

1886 Indian Head Cent, Type 1

1886 Indian Head Penny, Type 1: 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)

1886 Indian Head Penny, Type 1: 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)

$5.50 – $11.00

G-4 – VF-20

Uncirculated (MS-60)

$220

Brown

By grade

Typical value at each grade and colour. Penny Value estimate.
Grade	Brown	Red-Brown	Red
G-4Good	$5.50	—	—
VG-8Very Good	$5.50	—	—
F-12Fine	$8.00	—	—
VF-20Very Fine	$11.00	—	—
XF-40Extremely Fine	$16.00	—	—
AU-50About Uncirculated	$19.00	—	—
MS-60Mint State (Uncirculated)	$220	$240	—
MS-63Mint State (Uncirculated)	$340	$360	$780
MS-65Mint State (Uncirculated)	$960	$1,000	$2,200

Values as of Q4 2026 · Penny Value estimate · based on 4 recorded sales

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 1886 Type 1 and what to check.

Check your own penny

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How to identify it

The lowest feather points between the I and C of AMERICA

What to check

What a genuine 1886 Type 1 shows:

1886 Type 1 or Type 2: Type 1Where does the lowest feather of the headdress point: between the I and C of AMERICA (Type 1) or between the C and A (Type 2)?

Specs

Series: Indian Head Cent (bronze)
Year: 1886
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: Part of the 17,650,000 1886 cents; the Type 1 and Type 2 split isn't published.
Source: Wikipedia
Designer: James B. Longacre

Other varieties of this date

1886 Type 2
Philadelphia · Part of the 17,650,000 1886 cents; the split isn't published.
Variety
$45.00worn
$210MS-60

Other 1886 pennies

1886 Proof
Philadelphia · Proof · 4,290 made
Proof
$200proof

1886 penny values · Every Indian Head Cent (bronze) · Penny value chart