Disbelief Over 114-Year-Old 'Indian Head' Cent Found in Stack of Coins

A person was in disbelief after opening up a roll of pennies only to find a 114-year-old coin depicting an "Indian Head" design.

The consumer shared a snap of the cent to Reddit's Mildly Interesting forum on Monday, where it has amassed more than 20,000 upvotes.

They captioned it: "Opened a roll of pennies and found a 1908 Indian Head Penny." In the comments they confirmed they opened a new roll for a cash register when they spied the unusual coin.

Holding it between their fingers, the aged coin is wearing a typical Native American headdress made from feathers, which dates back to the latter part of the 19th century. But rather than a person, the figure wearing the headpiece is Lady Liberty herself.

"The face of Lady Liberty appeared on our circulating coins for more than 150 years. When considering options for our first coins, Congress debated over whether to feature George Washington and later presidents," the U.S. Mint said.

"Many believed that putting the current president on a coin was too similar to Great Britain's practice of featuring their monarchs. Instead, Congress chose to personify the concept of liberty rather than a real person."

Website Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) shared more details, saying: "Indian Head Cents replaced the Flying Eagle Cent in 1859. The obverse depiction of a putative American Indian is actually a head of Liberty with an Indian chief's headdress."

There was a variation to the Indian Head style, with the reverse design featuring a wreath, with a union shield and arrows added in later designs.

PCGS said: "In 1860, the wreath was altered and a small shield was added to the top of the reverse. From 1859-1864, the cents were made of a mixture of copper-nickel."

The site showcases various Indian Head coins for sale on eBay, ranging from 99 cents for one minted in 1897 to $3,999 for a 1877 version.

The Redditor had a much more conservative estimate for their find, noting "It's been in circulation, so not nearly what it could be, but about $2.00."

Although they noted it was "good quality," adding: "I'm not planning on selling it anyway."

Numerous people were impressed with the find, as Comfortable_rub69 said: "That's an awesome find regardless! Hope you added a new penny to the till and took home the Indian head."

Chrisco125 replied: "Omg. Think about how long it has been around. Cool. Doesn't matter if its worth much, the history is worth more than monetary value.."

CanAhJustSay echoed that, saying: "Aside from the monetary value... just imagine the stories that penny could tell! What it could buy back in the day...how many hands it's crossed..."

While Symbiosis-ecology advised: "Keep that thing for your kids," to which the Redditor replied: "I plan to. It's a connection to our past. Definitely something to be treasured."

Newsweek reached out to u/GForceHangover who declined to comment.

Update 9/22/22, 10 a.m. ET: This article was updated to remove the embed.