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How to Identify 1883 Coins

Many American coins minted in 1883 are highly sought after by collectors due to their scarcity and metal content. Fortunately, most are easy to identify because the value of the coin was struck on the coin by the U.S. Mint during production. The size and weight of some coins have changed little from 1883 to today, but the designs for each major coin are vastly different.

Things You'll Need

Magnifying glass

Instructions

- 1
  Look for a small copper coin featuring a Native American in headdress on the front. This is the 1883 "Indian head" penny. The reverse features the words "ONE CENT" encircled by a wreath.
- 2
  Examine the coin for a large "V" on the reverse. This is the "Liberty head" nickel of 1883, with the Latin numeral for five on the reverse, surrounded by a wreath. The front features a profile of Lady Liberty, with a circle of stars around the edge of the nickel.
- 3
  Inspect the small coin with a seated Liberty on the front. This 1883 dime is aptly called "Liberty Seated." At her feet is a shield, and she holds a flag in her hand. The back has the words "ONE DIME" enclosed in a wreath.
- 4
  Look for a larger coin with the same front design as the dime, but flip it over to find an eagle on the reverse. This is the "Liberty seated" quarter of 1883. The words "QUAR. DOL." can be found on the bottom of the reverse to help with identification.
- 5
  Look for the words "HALF DOL" on the bottom of the reverse side of the coin -- this is the 1883 half-dollar. Other than those words, the 1883 half-dollar and quarter have the same design. While the designs are nearly identical, the half-dollar is larger (30.6 mm in diameter) and heftier (weighing 12.5 g), practically matching the size of modern half-dollars.
- 6
  Find the coin with a spread-winged eagle on the reverse and a profile of Lady Liberty with curly hair on the front. This is the "Morgan" silver dollar, named after its designer, George T. Morgan. This coins weighs 26.73 g and contains .77 oz. of pure silver.

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