I have a question about why the 1908 S Indian Head cent has less value then other low mintage Indian Head cents. Only 1.1 million 1908 S coins were minted and a VF 20 grade values at $ 165 according to the 2025 Red Book. On the other hand, 1869 minted 6.4 million, 1871 minted 3.9 million and 1872 minted 4 million and all in VF 20 are valued at over $300. Generally, low coin mintage increases value unless there is an overdate or clash. Any ideas why the 1908 S is undervalued in my opinion?
The simple answer is that more of them were saved. It was the first mint-marked cent, and it was also known that the Indian Head cent series would end soon.
The 1908-S is a very affordable key date. There are a lot of marks in the field on your coin - if someone is hunting for a 1908-S, the cost difference between one like yours and a more attractive one is a pretty low amount.
Like Coinfrog said, it's about survival not mintage. Mintage figures only tell part of the story. This 1908-S looks borderline damaged but the images aren't good enough to tell. I'd value it closer to $65 than $165.
Thanks for your comments. I guess more collectors were around in 1908 then in the early 1870's. Today, collectors are greater then ever, thus more coins are preserved today.
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