Anyone know what this coin is worth? I've had it in my collection for over 30 years. According to the jacket, it's a "Fine".
If it is Fine F-12. $25 is about right. I think it might be closer to VG-10 and $20. But it looks uncleaned, a nice coin. Don't clean it.
There’s nothing nicer than a moderately circulated 19th century type coin that hasn’t been messed with. It looks great just the way it is. I like it!
You don't have to worry about what it's worth because you're going to keep it. It's a Fine example of the first Indian Head Cent. In a year, it's going to be a 160-year-old coin. You try to sell it, I'm going to come looking for you and stop you. I mean it, I'll find you.
Thanks for your kind words! It blew me away when I read "160 years old"! It's probably my oldest American coin. (I have older Canadian/Upper Canada coins). Don't worry, it's staying right where it is!
That's a very original looking coin. Some collectors are predicting that early Indian heads are on the rise. And, I'd rather have your VG8 1859 penny than a $20 bill any day!
So I went to NGCCOIN.COM and looked up 1859 and there are two Design varieties listed for this coin, one is MS, and the other one is MSPL. If mine is a VG8, then according to this website, it's worth between $18 and $25, but it's listed under the MS column. I certainly don't think this is an MS coin!
Your coin is neither. MS is mint state and MSPL is mint state proof like, these are uncirculated. Yours is circulated. (VG -10) MS coins are graded in the 60's. Try this link: https://www.usacoinbook.com/coins/small-cents/indian-head-cent/
I believe MS in this case rather means it’s a business strike, compared to a proof coin (PF) or a proof-like (MSPL) coin. Screenshot is from their mobile app - the condition (G,VG,VF...) is on the right. MS is the category:
There were 36,399,200 of these coins minted in MS and 800 minted in Proof. "MS" and "Proof" are simply different methods of manufacture, which, of course, impart different looks to the coins. Without going over what those different looks are, "MSPL" stands for "MS-ProofLike," i.e., an MS coin, but looking like a Proof. They're no big deal, really. Generally, they're just the "cleanest" of the MS strikes, i.e., the first strikes on the new MS working dies.
