Think I Found Something? 1864 Indian Head

There were a bunch of varieties in 1964, so you'd need to figure out what you have in order to know what it's worth. You need to figure out if it is 88% copper or 95% copper. The 88% copper penny will weigh 4.67 grams. The 95% copper will weigh 3.1 grams. Your coin's actual weight may be slightly less than those figures because the coin is very worn. You need to check the back of the neck under the bottom feather for a sideways "L." I can't tell from the picture because the coin is worn. Check for the L first...if it's present, you don't need to weigh the coin because only 88% copper pennies have the L.

If the penny is 95% copper, it's worth about $15. If it's 88% copper with no L, it's worth about $8. If it's 88% copper and has the L, it's worth about $50.

I don't know what kind of premium, if any, the rotation error might add to the value.

Somebody please correct me if I'm way off on this advice because I'm still new to this.

Ok here are some more pictures

I've been doing this forever; however, I took a 20 year break, too. Grading standards have changed since so long ago.

Here's what I based my grade on:

Good: Heavily worn. Dsigne and legend visible but faint in spots. On some coins, full rims are not required for this grade. You must be able to read the date and mint mark.

Very Good: Well worn. Design clear, but flat and lacking details.

VG is VG 8 on the Sheldon Scale. The entire design is weak, but a few details are visible. Full rims are nearly always a requirement for this grade. A full rim means that you can see a line around the edge of the coin where it was raised up.

So, really, when I first looked at it, I figured it was above G, nearer VG; but not really VG, blah, blah, blah.

Jim

Sorry, JRock, but I don't know what the other markers are to identify whether it's an L or not. I'm sure some of the experts will be able to tell you.

Let me explain something on die rotation. On coins of that era , including 2 cent pieces, rotated dies are extremely common. The 12 to 15 degree rule is only on modern coins.

Indian cents as well as 2 cent pieces, large cents and Half Cents are frequently encountered with a large degree of rotation.

On these, there is a premium on coins that show a rotation of more than 90 degrees. While silly things happen when they are hyped on ebay, Rotated dies on Indians and the other coins I mentioned sell at a premium of about 20 to 30% above the usual value of the coin.

So an AG 1864 Copper Nickel cent that has been cleaned, such as the one shown would be about a $16.00 coin, add for the rotation and it's about a $20.00 coin.

Thanks,
Bill

and how are you sayin its cleaned? I never cleaned it. got it from a sale on ebay. The pictures come out funny sometimes, it does not appear to be cleaned in person.

I agree with Bill (foundinrolls) completely except for the part about it being cleaned. Heavily worn coins are often hairlined, and since it's a CN coin, it probably "looks" different from what we would expect from a bronze coin.

BTW, this is NOT an "L" variety. The end of the bust is rounded, not pointed.

In addition, it is the dirt and debris that is remaining in the smaller letters that indicates cleaning (especially on the obverse) . The fact that the insides of the lettering on the reverse is not as "grungy" as the insides of the lettering on the obverse is another dead giveaway since the dirt from inside the larger letters on the reverse is easier to remove.

So it isn't just the hairlines, its a combination of things.

Thanks,
Bill
PS: Most people don't want to hear that their coins were cleaned so there is always a reluctance to accept it. There are signs that we learn to look besides hairlines and minute scratches and this coin has most of them.