James B. Longacre, chief engraving of the American mint, is best remembered today for his creation of the iconic Indian head center.
The Indian Main Cent in 1862 was hit in a central phase of the civil war, which saw a shift in momentum and strategic gains for the Union’s army. Larger matches included the Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee, Union Capture of New Orleans, and the seven days are fighting outside Richmond. The bloody fight at Antietam in September 1862 had no clear winner. But this significant civil war match opened the door to President Lincoln to advertise the preliminary liberation proclamation.
Indian Main Cent is a classic early American coin that has been seen by collectors because of their design, historical significance and rarity. Indian Main Cent was produced from 1859 to 1909 and was produced in large numbers in most years.
In 1862, on the basis of a war -cheated nation, Philadelphia Mint produced 28,075,000 Indian Main Center. Production met enormous demand for a small change in the cash-hungry economy. In the midst of the chaos of wartime, the citizens hammered precious metals.
While 1862 Cents’ minage was significant, the survival rates tell another story. Most coins circulated strongly and left few in pristine condition.
Today, only 400 survivors are estimated in grade 65 or better.
In 1909, the Indian Main Cent was replaced by Lincoln Cent, designed by Victor D. Brenner, who closed this important era of American Numismatic History.
Longacre’s lively design contains a representation of freedom wearing an Indian headgear that mixes classic art with border pictures. The defense includes the word “freedom” on the native American headgear, surrounded by “United States of America” ​​and the date “1862” at the bottom.
The reverse has an intricate beautiful oak wreath that surrounds the coin’s church community “one cent.” A small shield sits at the top and symbolizes victory. The Indian heads in 1862 are known to be usually well beaten and with excellent brilliance. The Indian Center of 1862 was hit with an alloy of 88% copper and 12% nickel, creating the pale hue of the coin. It bells in with a significant weight of 4.67 grams.
Today, collectors are interested in civil war history and early American pattern in the possibility of owning an Indian head center, a tangible piece of early American history. Whether you want to acquire a coin like this as an independent tax or part of a larger collection, this rarity is a testimony to the sustained legacy of the early American coin. Blanchard has one of these magnificent coins offered now. See this.
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