1882 indian head penny 0

[Douglas Hanson]

Was hoping someone could tell me about my 1882 indian head penny. I'm new to collecting coins

Edited August 9, 2022 by Douglas Hanson

[Coinbuf]

Welcome to the forum, I would suggest that you review the post at the top of this section on what and how to post coins.   Hard to know just what you are looking for, value (the $4 on the 2X2 is full retail), grade (which cannot be determined from your single photo of one side), basic mintage info??    The NGC explorer portion of NGC's website has a lot of good information available for most coins   Here is a link to that resource.  Explorer

We are happy to help but we need to know more about what it is you want to know.

Edited August 9, 2022 by Coinbuf

[The Neophyte Numismatist]

Welcome.  I agree with @Coinbuf, in that it will be hard to offer good advice with that pic.  Clear front and back of the whole coin is preferred.  I love indian head cents.... I do not have many, but they are such a cool design.  Happy collecting!

[Sandon]

   Although I can't see much about your coin from your photo either, I can tell you that an I882 Indian cent (technically, the United States issues cents, not pennies) is a relatively common date in the Indian cent series that began in 1859 and ended in 1909. (The portrait is actually of a Caucasian woman representing Liberty wearing a feathered headdress, not of an American Indian.)  Mint records indicate that in 1882 38,578,000 cents were struck.  Based upon what I can see and the $4 price on the holder yours is a well-worn and possibly damaged or corroded specimen.  Current retail prices in standard guides for unimpaired pieces of this date begin at $3.50 for a well-worn "Good" and $35 for a slightly worn About Uncirculated, with a number of grades between. (Uncirculated coins also have a number of grades, with values ranging from $60 to several thousand dollars depending upon the quality of the surfaces and strike and the amount of original mint color.)  

  If you wish make good purchases as a coin collector, it is essential that you educate yourself about coins.  In addition to using online resources such as the NGC Coin Explorer, I recommend that you purchase a copy of A Guide Book of United States Coins (newest edition dated 2023), commonly known as the "Redbook", which may be available at bookstores or directly from its publisher at whitman.com. This book contains a great deal of essential information, although the pricing may not be up to date. You will also need to learn how to grade coins.  I recommend The Official American Numismatic Association Grading Standards for United States Coins (7th ed. 2013), available from Whitman and other retailers.  There is also an online photographic grading guide at www.pcgs.com.  Look at the bottom of the page under "Resources" for "PCGS Photograde". (The PCGS site also has current coin price and "coinfacts" features, as does the NGC Coin Explorer.) You will also have to gain in-person experience by looking at a variety of the coins you wish to collect at venues such as coin shows and coin clubs.  I've just scratched the surface here, but this should give you a good start.