Expert: PAPAJACK - 3/13/2008

Question
i just got indianhead pennies from a very close friend that died they date from 1900 to 1907 i dont have a clue to what they are worth but to me they are in very good condition could you tell me the average of what they are worth
                            thank you

                        charles e miller

Answer
In each series of coin type there are some quick reference points of wear to be seen on the high points that are known to show wear first. Most of these are covered in the RED BOOK. If you can borrow a copy it will help. The grading details the book describes at the start of each coin series is taken from the American Numismatic Association Standard. And uses the 1 to 70 scale recognized by all professionals since the 1970's.

Most circulated coins range from Good (grade-G4) to Almost Uncirculated (grade-AU50) on the scale. So remember a grade of Good or 4 out of a possible 70 is kind of a low grade.

To grade the coins look at the heads side using a magnifier and a good light source. Does it have the word LIBERTY in the headband on the war bonnet? Are the beads on the necklace and diamond shapes in the ribbon visible?
The Indian head cents from 1900 to 1909 from the Philadelphia Mint are all valued the same.

Good (Grade 4) = $1
Very Good (Grade-8) = $1 - $2
Fine (grade-12) = $2  - $3
Extremely Fine (grade-40) = $4  - $6
Almost Uncirculated (Grade-50) = $7  - $12

Hope this information helps.

Good Luck

PapaJack