Would buying Indian Head Pennys be a good investment?

[Cappy Z.]

One of our fellow TNers posted he found a 1863? Indian Head Penny. I was thinking(careful here) that are mint Indian Head pennys in demand? How many were produced? Is there somewhere I can see how the prices have changed over time? Just curious.

Thanks.

 

[PBK]

With the exception of key dates (e.g., 1877), historically Indian Head cents have not performed quite as well as some other coins— large cents and other early coppers, for example. Currently, mint-state IHC's can be worth anywhere from around $100 for common dates on into the four-figure range for some of the scarcer varieties The latest Red Book lists the 1873 Doubled Liberty at $13K in MS-63.

Mintages are available in most standard references such as the Red Book; the highest year was 1863, with over 49.8 million.

One way to check trends is to compare older editions of price guides with recent ones, and of course guide prices with dealer price lists and catalogs— and especially actual prices paid. For the latter, although completed listings on eBay are okay, check prices realized in auctions by major numismatic firms such as Heritage and Stack's. You can access these (Heritage, anyway) by registering at their website.

 

[Diver_Down]

Regardless of the denomination, if you can get/afford mint state coins that were minted over a 100 years ago, do it. There will always be a market for the coins in the future. Of course, I prefer to score AU quality coins. When grading, there can be quite a difference in value from ms60 to ms65. Sometimes the difference is based on the opinion of the grader and the smallest of details. Consequently, a coin graded ms65 might not be worth the actual assigned grade and might actually grade ms62 costing the owner hundreds if not thousands in value. When it comes to AU grades, it is very rare for the coin to grade lower. It might not have the chance to grade higher, but it will always hold the value which will nearly always appreciate in value.

If you are buying mint state coins, be sure to stick with the major grading services.

 

[snake35]

I buy ms63 or better ihc when I can get them at reasonable prices. If you are willing to hold them five years you can make a nice return.

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Good info diver down

 

[allen]

i buy them so my kids can have them in the future.