The 1875 Indian Head Penny Value Guide

This is the single most important 1875 Indian Head cent variety, historically and numismatically. In August 1875, mint coiner A. Loudon Snowden suspected an elderly employee named George Mitchell of stealing cents from the coining room. Snowden arranged for a die to be secretly altered — a small dot cut into the reverse die on the letter N in ONE — so that struck coins could be identified as "marked." Mitchell was caught, confessed, and dismissed after 50+ years of service.

The diagnostic feature is a small but distinctly raised circular dot at the top-center of the N's crossbar in ONE on the reverse. This is not a die line, a pit, or a scratch — it is a die characteristic present on every coin struck from that die. Under a 10× loupe the dot appears round and symmetrical, elevated above the surrounding die-polished field. Normal 1875 reverse dies show a clean N with no raised features.

Because few coins were struck from the altered die before the investigation concluded and the die was retired, known examples are genuinely rare. PCGS population data lists only a handful of certified attributions, and coins graded MS-64+ Red represent top-tier examples. Collectors pay a significant premium — five to ten times comparable standard coins — for certified Snow-16 pieces. The variety is listed in the Cherrypickers' Guide (FS-801), Rick Snow's Indian Cent reference, and A Guide Book of United States Coins.

During the mid-Victorian era, die dates on U.S. coins were entered by hand using individual digit punches. A punch was placed against the working die and struck into the steel with a hammer. If the punch was misaligned on the first blow, it was re-struck in the correct position — leaving a faint ghost impression of the first punch alongside the final, properly placed digit. The FS-302 (Snow-2) is the most visually dramatic repunched date among the three major 1875 RPD varieties.

On FS-302, the original date impression is clearly displaced to the west of the final date position. Under a 10× loupe, look for a ghost of the 1, 8, and 5 digits slightly to the left (west) of the primary date numerals. The repunching is particularly clear on the 8 and 5, where the earlier impression appears as a secondary outline or serif doubling. The 1 digit may also show a ghosted upper serif to the northwest of the primary 1.

This variety is recognized by PCGS and listed in major Fivaz-Stanton reference works. It is the most commonly encountered of the three 1875 RPD varieties in certified populations, making it the benchmark for the RPD type. An AU-58 PCGS example sold for $255 in January 2026. In EF condition, certified examples typically bring around $95–$130 over the standard coin price, with uncirculated pieces commanding several hundred dollars.

FS-301 is the first of the three formally catalogued 1875 Repunched Date varieties in the Fivaz-Stanton Cherrypickers' Guide. Like all RPDs from this era, it originated when a die-setter misaligned a date punch on the first strike and had to re-punch the digit in the correct position, leaving traces of the initial, off-center impression embedded in the die steel.

The diagnostic for FS-301 (Snow-1) is repunching visible primarily within the loops of the 8 digit. Under a 10× loupe, the inner curves of both loops of the 8 show a secondary impression — the earlier punch impression appears as a slight secondary curve or flat area inside the normal loop shape. Some references also describe subtle repunching on the adjacent 1 digit's upper serif. The repunching on this variety is subtler than FS-302, which is part of why specialist attribution is recommended.

This variety is pursued by specialists building complete sets of 1875 RPD varieties and by Cherrypickers' Guide enthusiasts who examine raw coins in dealer stocks. Its relative subtlety compared to FS-302 means it is somewhat less frequently attributed, but PCGS and NGC will certify and attribute it. Premiums in EF grades typically run $50–$100 over base value for standard coins, rising to several hundred dollars in quality uncirculated pieces — particularly those retaining some original red color designation.

The ODD-004 variety (Snow-18 in Rick Snow's reference) is an obverse die oddity characterized by heavy raised die lines below Liberty's ear, across the jaw, and through the eye area. These lines were produced by die-file marks — tool marks left by mint workers who used files to polish or repair die surfaces during the production process. When a file was dragged across the die steel to remove a die defect or smooth a surface, it left parallel grooves in the die that transferred as raised lines onto every coin struck from that die.

On ODD-004, the die lines below the ear and jaw area are particularly heavy and numerous. Under a 10× loupe, they appear as fine parallel raised lines cutting across the field below Liberty's ear, sometimes extending upward through the jaw and even through the eye region of the portrait. Complementary die cracks are also noted on this die, radiating from several clock positions around the design, including notable cracks from 3:00, 7:45, 8:45, and 11:30. A die break between middle and lower olive leaves on the reverse of the later die state (L.2) further identifies more advanced examples.

While the premium for this variety is modest compared to Snow-16 or certified RPDs, it represents an excellent "cherry-pick" target for collectors who examine raw 1875 cents with a loupe. The distinctive die lines make attribution straightforward once the collector knows what to look for. Examples in EF condition showing strong die lines are genuinely appealing to specialists and can trade for meaningful premiums above standard base values for the date. The variety is documented by indiancentvarieties.com and Rick Snow's two-volume Indian Cent reference.