Indian Head Cent 1868 G-VG

Andrew Johnson would be impeached in the House of Representatives in the year 1868. He would be saved in the Senate’s lengthy trial by only one vote. It is thought that he was not impeached in the Senate because the third in line to Lincoln, Benjamin Wade, was widely disliked. Later in the summer, Congress voted to readmit the former rebel states of the Confederacy back into the Union, so long as African Americans were extended the right to vote. Ulysses Grant won the election promising to repay war bonds with gold instead of paper currency which was seen as weaker. During this period, the US Mint was receiving lots of silver from the public.

The 1868 Indian Head cent’s mintage would stay around the 10,000,000 coin mark. The coin retained the same bronze makeup and beautiful luster. The American goddess Liberty graced the obverse with a traditional Native American headdress full of feathers covering her full head of hair. The reverse was still protected by the United States federal shield, all the while being surrounded by an oak wreath. Along with other years of the Indian Head cent, this year became rather scarce after the US Mint melted much of the bronze and copper-nickel pennies of the 1860’s. Most pennies that survived from this year are well worn and circulated.

The proof Indian Head cents from this year have a curious Mint error. Many reverses were struck 170 degrees instead of 180. It is also believed that many of the proofs this year were struck in later years, as the US Mint was known to do. The most popular variety from 1868 is a double die of Liberty’s ribbon and the engraver’s initial “L”. Many repunched date varieties exist but are much less popular.

• Denomination: Cent
• Year: 1868
• Diameter: 19mm
• Mint Mark: N/A
• Thickness: 1.5mm
• Grade: Ungraded