Small Cents — Flying Eagle, Indian Head & Lincoln Cent Guide & Values
1856–Present • Home to the Legendary 1909-S VDB • America's Most Collected Coin
Value Overview by Series
Values shown are broad approximate ranges for common-date circulated examples within each series.
| Series | Years | Composition | Common Date Range | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1856 Flying Eagle (Pattern) | 1856 | Cu-Ni | $11,500–$312,000+ | Shop eBay → |
| Flying Eagle (Circulation) | 1857–1858 | Cu-Ni | $30–$300+ | Shop eBay → |
| Indian Head (Cu-Ni) | 1859–1864 | Cu-Ni | $15–$200+ | Shop eBay → |
| Indian Head (Bronze) | 1864–1909 | Bronze | $1–$60+ | Shop eBay → |
| Lincoln Wheat Cent | 1909–1958 | Bronze / Steel (1943) | $0.05–$25+ | Shop eBay → |
| 1909-S VDB — The Legend | 1909 | Bronze | $800–$3,000+ | Shop eBay → |
| Lincoln Memorial / Shield Cent | 1959–present | Bronze / Zinc (1982+) | Face value–$5+ | Shop eBay → |
The History of the Small Cent
By the mid-1850s, the large-format copper cent that had circulated since 1793 had become genuinely impractical — its size and weight made it expensive to produce and unwieldy to carry in quantity. In 1857, the Mint permanently retired the Large Cent (along with the Half Cent) in favor of a smaller, lighter coin struck in a harder 88% copper / 12% nickel alloy. The transition actually began a year early, in late 1856, when the Mint struck a small pattern run of the new Flying Eagle design — technically not an official circulation issue, but distributed to newspaper editors, congressmen, and other influential figures to build public support for the change. That 1856 pattern proved so popular with collectors that it's universally treated as part of the regular series today, despite its technical status.
The Flying Eagle design, adapted by Chief Engraver James B. Longacre from Christian Gobrecht's earlier Flying Eagle motif used on the 1836–1839 silver dollar, proved a genuine engineering headache: its high-relief eagle and wreath sat in directly opposing positions on the coin, meaning metal had to flow into both deep recesses simultaneously during striking, leaving the eagle's head and tail almost always weakly struck. The Mint abandoned the design after just two years of full circulation production (1857–1858), replacing it in 1859 with Longacre's own lower-relief Indian Head design — which proved far easier to strike and remained in production for exactly 50 years.
Every Small Cent Series
The Small Cent denomination spans three major design families across nearly 170 years of continuous production — remarkable durability for a coin that started as an uncertain experiment. Click any series below to shop current listings.
Flying Eagle Cent
Indian Head Cent
Lincoln Wheat Cent
Lincoln Memorial Cent
Large Cents
Half Cents
Cent Error Coins
Full Coin Price Guide
![1943 P Lincoln Cent MS67 White PCGS BU Unc Wheat Penny [064] NGC Registry](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/xWAAAeSwvSNqjfjI/s-l225.jpg)
The 1909-S VDB — The Ultimate Key Date
No Small Cent story looms larger than the 1909-S VDB. The Lincoln Cent itself was a genuine historical first — commissioned in 1909 by the U.S. Mint to mark the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth, it was the first regularly circulating U.S. coin to feature the portrait of an actual historical person rather than an allegorical figure like Liberty. Designer Victor David Brenner placed his initials, "V.D.B.," prominently along the bottom of the reverse — a level of visibility that quickly drew public criticism as excessive self-promotion. The Mint removed the initials entirely within weeks of the coin's release, but not before San Francisco had already struck a limited run bearing them.
That San Francisco run totaled just 484,000 coins — a genuinely small mintage that, combined with the coin's fame as a first-year issue, the controversy over Brenner's initials, and the sheer scale of Lincoln Cent collecting (a series pursued by millions of casual and serious collectors alike), makes the 1909-S VDB the single most famous key date in American coin collecting. It remains one of the most heavily counterfeited coins in existence, and PCGS or NGC certification is essential for any purchase.
Collecting the Small Cent Denomination
Few U.S. denominations offer as approachable an entry point as the Small Cent — the sheer volume struck across nearly 170 years means common dates from every era are widely available and inexpensive, making a complete Lincoln Wheat Cent set (1909–1958) a genuinely achievable goal for beginning collectors, one that can even be partly assembled straight from circulation-era rolls or estate finds. Beyond the 1909-S VDB, the series is full of well-known, actively hunted rarities and errors: the 1943 bronze cent (a small handful of copper planchets accidentally struck during the wartime steel-cent year, worth well into six figures), the 1955 Doubled Die Obverse (dramatic, visible doubling on the date and lettering), and the 1922 "Plain" (a Denver cent struck from an over-polished die that erased the mint mark entirely).
For collectors focused on the earlier series, the 1856 Flying Eagle and 1877 Indian Head represent the two other headline rarities of the broader Small Cent story, both commanding serious premiums given their genuine scarcity. PCGS and NGC both grade cents across every series, and certification matters increasingly as value rises — particularly for anything claiming to be a 1909-S VDB or 1943 bronze, given how frequently both are targeted by counterfeiters.
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Where to Buy Small Cents
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eBay — Key Dates & Errors
JM Bullion
Kitco
Money Metals Exchange
SD Bullion
Silver Gold Bull
FRC Coin Price Guide
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most valuable Small Cent?
Among regular-issue Small Cents, the 1856 Flying Eagle is the standout — technically a pattern coin, with only an estimated 600 to 2,000 struck, it commands anywhere from $11,500 to over $312,000 depending on condition. The 1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent is the more famous everyday key date, with values from roughly $800 to $3,000+ for typical circulated grades. Individual error coins, like a genuine 1943 bronze cent, can exceed both in value, sometimes reaching well into six figures.
Why is the 1909-S VDB so famous?
Designer Victor David Brenner placed his initials prominently along the bottom of the reverse on the first Lincoln Cents, drawing public criticism as excessive self-promotion. The Mint removed the initials within weeks, but San Francisco had already struck a limited run of 484,000 bearing them. That combination — a genuinely small mintage, first-year status, real public controversy, and a series collected by millions — makes it the single most famous key date in American coin collecting.
Why is the 1856 Flying Eagle Cent a "pattern" coin?
The Mint struck the 1856 Flying Eagle before the new small-cent format was officially authorized for circulation, distributing the coins to newspaper editors, congressmen, and other influential people to build support for the coming change. Because it wasn't an official circulation issue, it's technically classified as a pattern coin — but since it used the same alloy and dimensions as the 1857 coin that followed, it's universally collected as part of the regular Flying Eagle series today.
What is the 1943 bronze cent?
In 1943, the Mint switched cent production to zinc-coated steel to conserve copper for the war effort. A small number of leftover bronze planchets from 1942 were accidentally struck with 1943 dies before the switch was fully implemented, creating an extremely rare and valuable error. Genuine examples are exceptionally scarce and worth well into six figures — the coin is also one of the most commonly faked error coins, since a 1943 steel cent can be copper-plated to imitate the real thing, making certification essential for any purchase.
Who designed the Small Cent series?
James B. Longacre designed both the Flying Eagle Cent (adapting Christian Gobrecht's earlier eagle motif from the 1836–1839 silver dollar) and the Indian Head Cent that replaced it in 1859 — the same prolific engraver behind the Shield Nickel, Two Cent Piece, and Three Cent pieces. Victor David Brenner designed the Lincoln Cent that followed in 1909, commissioned specifically to mark the 100th anniversary of Lincoln's birth.
What is a good starting point for collecting Small Cents?
The Lincoln Wheat Cent series (1909–1958) is the classic entry point — common dates are still occasionally found in circulation-era rolls and old collections, and a complete date-and-mint set is genuinely achievable without pursuing the 1909-S VDB right away. From there, many collectors work backward toward the Indian Head and Flying Eagle series, or specialize in hunting well-known errors like the 1955 doubled die and 1943 bronze cent.
A Guide Book of Flying Eagle and Indian Head Cents. High-quality, full-color photographs illustrate each coin. Snow's detailed research includes yearly production notes, market values in multiple grades
A Guide Book of Half Cents and Large Cents explores two of America’s earliest and most historic coinage denominations. Half cents and large cents, struck from 1793 to 1857
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