1888 Indian Head Cent, 8/7
The 1888 Indian Head 8/7 overdate cent ranks as the rarest and most valuable coin in the venerable Indian Head cent series.
The 7 digit underneath the 8 digit is barely discernible. In fact, it wasn’t until 1970 this variety was discovered, when dealer James F. Ruddy stumbled upon two of them in a cabinet drawer of a non-collector in Virginia.(1)
Ruddy’s find generated a lot of buzz in the numismatic community, prompting Indian Head cent collectors to scrutinize their holdings once again in hopes of unearthing overlooked examples of the rarity.
The 1888/7 Indian Head cent has traditionally relished strong collector demand at all levels of preservation. Mint State examples are so rare there is insufficient data to chart value trends.
Take note: Prices are currently well below their all-time highs of a few years ago. Despite a lackluster record recently, the performance of the 1888/7 Indian Head cent over the long haul still merits a spot on the list of Key Date recommendations.
| Estimated survivors in all grades: 504 ?
The survivor estimate from PCGS represents an average of one or more experts' opinions as to how many examples survive of a particular coin in all grades. Survival estimates include coins that are raw, certified by PCGS, and certified by other grading services. Learn more at PCGS. |
| PCGS Rarity Scale: 5.9 ?
The 'PCGS CoinFacts Rarity Scale' assesses the relative rarity of all U.S. coins, based on estimated surviving examples. The scale runs from 1.0 to 10.0. The higher the number, the rarer the coin.
Learn more at PCGS. |
| Click HERE to check for availability on eBay** |
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| Trendline Avg = 13.62 | GOOD |
Historic Value Trend Charts:
| Last updated 1-10-24 |  |
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| Compare to Common Date Coin of Same Type | ||
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Sources
1. Stack's Bowers Galleries. 1888/7 Indian Cent. Snow-1, FS-301. Aug 2018.
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If you’re thinking about purchasing a rare coin, eBay is certainly worth a look. For your convenience, the links from this site to eBay are coded to bring up only coins certified by PCGS and NGC.
As is always, always the case, never buy a valuable coin from a seller whose trustworthiness cannot be verified. Learn more about this at our chapter Best Places to Buy Coins, which also has a section on doing business on eBay.
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Coin images by Stack's Bowers Galleries.
