American Coins of the 19th Century

Indian Head Penny

• Before the Lincoln penny came along in 1909, there was the Indian head penny. This penny was minted from 1859 to 1909. The rarest coin in the Indian head penny series is the 1909-S. Of the millions of Indian head pennies that were minted, only 309,000 of these were made. The coins feature Lady Liberty with an Indian head dress.

Seated Liberty Half Dollar

• The United States first saw the Seated Liberty half dollar in 1836. They were made until 1891. The rarest Seated Liberty half dollars are the 1853-O No Arrowhead and Ray. No mint record of these half dollars exist. The 1878-S and the 1861-O Proof are also rare Seated Liberties. The coins feature a seated Lady Liberty.

Shield Nickel

• The Shield nickel was first minted in 1866 and remained in production until 1883. The Shield nickel was the beginning of the nickels minted today. The coins feature a shield on one side. Prior to the Shield nickel, half dimes were in circulation.

One Dollar Gold Coin

• The dollar gold coin was first minted in 1849 and remained in production until 1889. The coins feature a left-side portrait of Lady Liberty surrounded by 13 stars. The original 13-millimeter coin was considered too small, so in 1854, 15-millimeter coins were produced. On the larger coins, Lady Liberty is wearing an Indian head dress. The rarest of the one dollar gold coins is the 1849-C. This coin features an open wreath.

Three Dollar Gold Coin

• The three dollar gold coin first appeared in 1854 and remained in production until 1889. It was decidedly unpopular. Since so few were minted, the rarest are the 1875, 1876, 1854-D and the 1870-S, of which there is only one known coin. The coins feature a wreath of cotton, tobacco and corn on one side and an Indian princess on the other side.