Hello, Can anyone please give me a quick primer on Indian head cents? I know the 1877 is the key date and pretty expensive, and there were also a few varieties during a few years (bronze vs. copper?). From my current understanding, there were no mint marks on these cents, correct? So if I wanted to build a complete date set, I wouldn't be able to assemble a date / mint mark set? What else should I know before jumping in to building my next set? Are there any other keys I will have to plan for besides the 1877?
You have the 08 S and 09 S mint marks to begin with,the 09 S will cost you more than the 08 S. Just about any date in the 1870's are keys or semi keys. The 1864 L another key that carries a premium . Not a cheap set to put together by any means. Then if you factor in any varieties the set can even get even more expensive . Before starting I would invest in a book on the series . That way you'll know what you're going to be getting into price wise. Even in lower grades some of the keys can run near 2 K each. The 09 S in a f-vf $900+/-.
First invest the price of a pizza in a new 2016 Redbook. Amazon = hardcover edition = $14.13; buy some t-shirts or razor blades so your order qualifies for free postage.
Fun to collect but there are a lot of expensive coins in the series. There are also many problem coins out there. I would aim at a well matching brown set. Don't buy the first coin you see just because you need the date. The Red Book is a great choice. If you get hooked on the series, Snow has a great set of books that will help.
I have always read at least one book on a coin series before pursuing a set (I like to pursue date / mint mark sets of business strikes). However, I'm deployed overseas right now for the military. So instead of taking advantage of my Amazon Prime and waiting for the painfully slow mail service, I was hoping for a few quick pointers on the series. I've seen a few already, but reading a book is something I'm going to do when I get home, not now. However, the more experience I get in the hobby (30 years now!), the more I realize that some series are just not conducive to collecting an entire business strike date / mint mark set. I've also been able to buy fewer, nicer coins instead of everything I can get my hands on like I did as a kid. So, I may just save those pennies...ahem...cents, and buy the 1877 and call it a day.
Check out this site: www.indiancent.com Also check out the links on that site and the books available and the Fly-In Club link, which provides access to a member's forum and an excellent journal called "Longacre's Ledger" with 34 years of back issues in pdf accessible on their website. Indian Head Cents are probably the most popular U.S. coins collected next to the Lincoln Cent. If you are happy with coins that were actually circulated and in the pockets of our ancestors then you should have no problem collecting a whole set, but define the set first. If you choose to collect the varieties, which were actually mint errors, you may never complete the set because new varieties are still being discovered, which adds to the challenge of the hunt. There is a lot written about this series making it a wonderful U.S. history lesson as well. Once you have the 1877, the rest are cheaper. The Flying Eagle cents are generally collected with this series, but they were only circulated for 2 years. A collection of all the intentional mint varieties (hub designs) for the Flying Eagles is only 8 coins.
One note: if you're deployed overseas, and you're seeing some opportunities to buy Indian cents (or any other US collectable coins) in your current location, be very cautious. We regularly see new posters here asking about key US coins that they happened to find at a market booth in an exotic location. They're always fake. This may be old news to you, but the combination of "deployed overseas" and "not wanting to wait for a book to arrive" suggested that you might think you've got an immediate opportunity. If so, as I said, tread carefully.
Amen. I don't always buy Indian Cents, but when I do, I make sure they are HOT out of the hopper: Nearly half a ton of fake half cents, large cents, and Indian cents, courtesy of the Chinese.
No, I'm a 30 year collector. So I'm buying certified coins from reputable dealers whom I know. The internet is a great invention.
