1861 Indian Cent. MS-66 (PCGS). CAC. Delightful tan-apricot surfaces are sharply struck with a full endowment of softly frosted luster. With only 10,100,000 circulation strikes produced, the 1861 boasts the lowest mintage among copper-nickel Indian cents. Perhaps understandably, this is the scarcest date of its type, the paucity of survivors also explained by the wholesale redemption and melting of examples during the 1870s. Even so, Mint State survivors are fairly plentiful in an absolute sense, due to hoarding of copper-nickel cents during the Civil War. Few such coins are as carefully preserved as this upper end Gem, however, which fact is sure to result in spirited competition for this offering among discerning collectors.
