Indian Head Cent 1896 G-VG

1896 would be an abysmal year for race relations in the United States. One that would affect the country for decades. The Supreme Court upheld a law stating that racial segregation could be upheld as long as states provided espera-te but equal public utilities and services. This would not be overturned for almost sixty years. Although the country was still reeling from the Panic of 1893, Charles Dow published his first Dow Jones Industrial Average. For those baseball lovers, this was the first year Cracker Jacks were sold.

The mintage of Indian Head cents stayed consistent with the prior year. In fact, for the rest of the Indian Head cent’s production, the Philadelphia Mint continued to issue pennies at roughly this higher rate. There would only be one other US mint to create Indian Head cents, that would be the San Francisco Mint in 1908 and 1909. The nation was slowly improving economically from the Panic of 1893, so business demand for cents increased. The US Mint would put much focus on keeping Indian Head cent production high. These pennies stayed in circulation for decades and were used widely and well. They are readily available in all grades. Therefore collectors should find problem free cents, as it should be easy to find.

The mintage proof Indian Head cents continued to decrease. In the year 1896, proof mintage actually went below 2,000. This is a very difficult year to find proofs in high grades. However, many proofs from this year have been given a cameo designation. As with almost all other Indian Head cents, there are many varieties known, but they are mostly repunched dates and none very popular at that. If you have any questions regarding the Indian Head Cent or varieties, please contact any of our knowledgeable staff at 800-735-1311, and we’ll be happy to assist you!

• Denomination: Cent
• Year: 1896
• Diameter: 19 mm
• Mint Mark: N/A
• Thickness: 1.5 mm
• Grade: Ungraded