Public domain — Unknown authorUnknown author
Small Cents · $0.01
1873 Indian Head Cents (1859-1909)
Closed 3; Open 3
Key Features
Total 1873 Philadelphia mintage: 11,676,500 (Closed 3 and Open 3 combined). PCGS population data shows the Open 3 about twice as common as the Closed 3. Source: PCGS CoinFacts.
Intriguing History
The 1873 Indian cent was struck in the same year Congress passed the Coinage Act of 1873, the law silver interests later called the "Crime of '73." Early 1873 dates used a Closed 3 whose knobs nearly touched. Chief Coiner A. Loudon Snowden complained it could be mistaken for an 8, so engravers under Chief Engraver William Barber cut an Open 3 partway through the year.
Total Weight3.11 g