1908 Indian Head Penny

For collectors of American coinage, few coins are more valuable than the Indian Head Penny. Produced for 50 consecutive years that spanned much of the 19^th century and the early parts of the 20^th, these coins played a pivotal role in the lives of millions of everyday Americans. As such, a complete collection of Indian Head Pennies is a goal of so many collectors.

Unfortunately, because Indian Heads are inherently quite old, getting your hands on one is not so easy. With regard to the 1908 edition, finding one of these coins is not such an impossible task simply because, as one of the last editions produced, many have survived the years.

Grading the 1908 Indian Head Penny

If you want a 1908 Indian Head Penny, chances are that you will be looking for one of these coins in pristine shape. Unfortunately, because they were used to purchase countless everyday items, very few have survived the years in anything close to great condition. As a collector, it is your job to judge the condition of a coin before buying.

In all reality, judging the condition of a coin is no more difficult than looking at the coin and establishing what defects are present. Though grading a coin is something that is done by a professional company, you can utilize the specifications below to gain a good idea of the characteristics of a coin of a certain grade.

Uncirculated: Coins that were minted and then almost immediately placed into safekeeping are the ones worthy of an Uncirculated grade. These coins will be in perfect overall condition and will show almost no signs of wear. In fact, the imagery present on the coin’s faces will be completely intact and complete with all of its original texture. All in all, Uncirculated 1908 Indian Heads are quite difficult to find.

Extremely Fine: An Extremely Fine Indian Head Penny saw some time in circulation, but not so much time that it contains any major defects. Apart from some minimal scratching, you will find that these coins are in excellent condition and are almost identical to their Uncirculated counterparts. Also a prize for collectors, these coins are not so easy to find.

Fine: To receive this grade, the coin will have had to spend some time in circulation, but not so much time that major blemishes or defects had time to appear. Scratching on the face of this coin will be a bit more severe, but not so severe that you cannot make out the images on the coin’s reverse and obverse.

Good: 1908 Indian Heads that are graded to be Good are those that saw the most time exchanging hands. They will be scratched, bent, chipped, and will look like they saw decades upon decades on the open market. Perfect for a beginning collector, Good 1908 Indian Heads are not all that difficult to find and are not that expensive at all.

Pricing the 1908 Indian Head Penny

Giving coins that are this old a price is no more difficult than assessing the condition of the coin. Naturally, those coins that have been well-preserved are the ones that will cost you the most. With the chart below, you can get a great understanding of how much you will pay for a 1908 Indian Head Penny of a certain grade.

1908 Indian Head Penny

DATE	GOOD	FINE	EXTREMELY FINE	UNCIRCULATED
1908	$2	$4.50	$10	$20
Source: Red Book