1908-S Indian Head Cent
Circulation strike struck at the San Francisco Mint · 1,115,000 made
- Mintage
- 1,115,000
- 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 a 1908-S Indian Head Cent worth?
Collectors pay a real premium for this date, worn or not, because far fewer were made than usual. Uncirculated pieces go much 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
- Certification by PCGS or NGC, which buyers expect for scarce dates
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1908-S Indian Head Cent rare?
- Somewhat. 1,115,000 were made, fewer than most dates, so collectors treat it as a semi-key.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1908 Indian Head Cent?
- On the reverse, below the wreath. Only 1908-S and 1909-S carry a mint mark. On this coin the mark is S, for San Francisco.
- How many 1908-S Indian Head Cent coins were made?
- 1,115,000.
What to check on your 1908-S
- Make sure the mint mark really is an S. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1908 (32 million made).
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 1908 Indian Head Cent Proof (1,620 made) is the one to compare with.
- 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 1908-S
This was the first time San Francisco made the Indian Head Cent for circulation: 1,115,000 coins. The next year it made 309,000 (1909-S).
The other mint made far more that year: 1908 alone came to 32 million, roughly 29 for every 1908-S. If you're checking a pile of 1908 coins, the S is the one to look for. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1877 (852,500) and the 1871 (3,929,500).
Record output and the San Francisco keys (1900 to 1909)
Cent production soared in the new century, from 66 million in 1900 to a series high of 108 million in 1907, driven by streetcar fares, penny candy and new vending machines. For the first time the cent was struck outside Philadelphia: San Francisco made 1.1 million cents in 1908, with an S mint mark below the wreath on the reverse.
The 1909-S, with only 309,000 coined before the Lincoln cent arrived in August 1909, is the second key of the series after the 1877. Both S dates have been faked by adding a mint mark to a Philadelphia coin, so experts check the shape and position of the S. Philadelphia made 14.4 million cents in 1909 before the change. Survivors from this decade are plentiful. Many uncirculated coins show red and brown or fully brown color.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1908
Congress ordered the motto "In God We Trust" restored to US gold coins in May 1908, so both the double eagle and the eagle come in "No Motto" and "With Motto" types this year.
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 | 1908 |
| Mint | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 1,115,000 |
| 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 1908 Indian Head Cent issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1908 Indian Head Cent | 32,326,317 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1908 Indian Head Cent Proof | 1,620 | Proof | – |
| 1908-S Indian Head Cent | 1,115,000 | Circulation strike | – |
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.