I thought I'd mastered the pointed-bust diagnostic for the 1864-L Indian cent, but I haven't. I got this as part of the most recent large lot I bought on eBay. I've been comparing it to various photos online, of worn and MS coins, L and non-L -- and I just can't tell. I thought I could judge based on the position of the bust tip relative to the 1 in the date, but I've seen photos of cents with the same type (L or non-L) but different positions. Here's an overview: Here's a close-up of the bust and ribbon (well, the area where the ribbon once was): I can imagine that I see hints of an L in the ribbon, but I can also imagine seeing Ls all over the coin. I don't trust myself not to be imagining it. Compared to the image on this page, it looks like the rounded-bust variant. Compared to the images on this page, it's less clear. I'm leaning toward "no L", but I'd appreciate backup...
