The Flying Eagle cent had barely begun to circulate when Mint Director James Ross Snowden instructed Chief Engraver James B. Longacre to start preparing new designs, one of which would be chosen to replace it. This was because of deficiencies in the design of the Flying Eagle cent (it often emerged weakly struck, especially at the eagle's tail and wingtip).

Director Snowden suggested that Longacre fashion a head of Christopher Columbus for the cent. Even though he had created the flying eagle cent, Longacre threw himself into the task and created more than a dozen pattern cents. Eventually, Longacre came up with an alternative that Snowden liked even better than Columbus. It was a portrait of an Indian girl- or more likely a Caucasian-wearing a feathered headdress.

Like its Flying Eagle predecessor, the Indian Head cent started out as a copper-nickel coin, made from an alloy whose light color led to its being called a "white" cent. Most experts agree that his idea was indeed inspired, for the Indian Head cent won immediate and enduring acclaim from the American public.

Vital Stats.

Vital Stats.

U.S. Indian Head One Cent Coin Type 1
'No Shield' on Reverse (1859)

U.S. Indian Heac One Cent Coin Type 2
Copper-Nickel alloy (1860 - 1864)

The reverse laurel wreath design was modified in 1860 to an oak wreath and a Union shield. Reasons for the change are uncertain even today. Some historians have speculated that because the events leading to the Civil War were building, the shield was intended to portray a sense of unity.

1862 found the United States was deeply engaged in the Civil War. The outcome was uncertain, silver, gold and even copper coins were hoarded. Production of the cents nearly tripled from 1861 to 1862, and nearly doubled again in 1863, but it was not suffecent to stop hording. Demand for the coins was so great that quite often a premium over face value was paid (up to 4% in New York and Massachusetts).

In 1864 (with the outcome of the Civil War more certain) the coin shortage eased. This was the same year that copper-nickel cents were replaced by bronze.

Vital Stats.

U.S. Indian Head One Cent Coin Type 3
Bronze alloy (1864 - 1909)

The 1864 design was basically the same as earlier, but the composition changed from copper-nickel to bronze (copper, tin, and zinc). Even though the copper content was higher, (increasing from 88% to 95%) the cent no longer contained the expensive nickel alloy.