1894 Indian Head Cent
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 16,749,500 made
- Mintage
- 16,749,500
- Metal
- 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc
- Weight
- 3.11 g
- Diameter
- 19 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is an 1894 Indian Head Cent worth?
Age alone gives this coin a small premium, even worn. Sharp details and original surfaces push it higher.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- Full red copper color (labeled RD) rather than brown
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1894 Indian Head Cent rare?
- No. 17 million were made, a typical run for the series. Condition and varieties decide its value, not the date.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1894 Indian Head Cent?
- No mint mark. Philadelphia struck every Indian cent until 1908.
- Which Philadelphia dates near 1894 are scarcer?
- None. Within five years either side, no Philadelphia issue had a smaller mintage than the 1894.
- How many 1894 Indian Head Cent coins were made?
- 16,749,500.
What to check on your 1894
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 1894 Indian Head Cent Proof (2,632 made) is the one to compare with.
- Old coins pick up damage over a long life. Look for holes, bends, scratches or signs of cleaning before you judge the grade, because a damaged coin sells for a fraction of a problem-free one.
- Judge the grade under good light. In Very Fine, all five letters of LIBERTY on the headband are visible; collectors also look at the feather tips and the "diamonds" on the ribbon. Color is graded too: Red (RD), Red-Brown (RB) and Brown (BN).
The story of the 1894
Philadelphia made 16,749,500 in 1894, down from 47 million in 1893. The next year it made 38 million (1895).
No other mint struck it for circulation that year, so every 1894 you find is from Philadelphia.
Philadelphia struck the Indian Head Cent in 52 issues between 1859 and 1909. By mintage this one lands in the scarcer half, while the key for that mint is the 1877 (852,500). No Indian Head Cent of the 1890s had a smaller run.
The 1890s and the 1894 doubled date (1891 to 1899)
Cent demand in the 1890s tracked the economy. Production was about 47 million in 1891 and 1893, but the depression that followed the Panic of 1893 cut 1894 output to 16.7 million, the lowest figure in the decade. The 1894 also has a well known repunched date that shows a clear second set of digits, a favorite variety for the period.
By 1897 output reached 50 million and stayed near that level as the economy recovered. Dies from this decade are generally well made. The Mint's strikes are sharper than in the 1870s, so complete diamonds on the ribbon and full feather tips are common. Coins from these years are among the easiest Indian cents to find in uncirculated condition, though fully red examples remain scarce because bronze tones over time.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1894
The San Francisco Mint struck just 24 dimes dated 1894, one of the most famous rarities in American coinage.
How to recognize it
Liberty wears a feathered headdress with LIBERTY on the band, surrounded by UNITED STATES OF AMERICA with the date below. The 1859 reverse is a laurel wreath around ONE CENT; from 1860 an oak wreath with a small shield at the top was used. Coins from 1864 on are bronze and from partway through 1864 they show the designer's initial L on the ribbon behind Liberty's neck. Mint marks (only S, 1908 and 1909) are below the wreath on the reverse.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Indian Head Cent (1859–1909) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1894 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 16,749,500 |
| Face value | 1¢ |
| Composition | 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc (bronze) |
| Weight | 3.11 grams |
| Diameter | 19 mm |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | James B. Longacre |
Other 1894 Indian Head Cent issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1894 Indian Head Cent | 16,749,500 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1894 Indian Head Cent Proof | 2,632 | Proof | – |
Mintage: United States cent mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.