Collectors Corner^SM: The Collectibles Marketplace

1873 Closed 3 Indian Cent. Click image to enlarge.

The Indian Cent has long posed many challenges to even the most intrepid of “penny” collectors, with the key-date 1877 and 1909-S cents serving as two of the biggest series hurdles. But it’s not just regular-issue key dates that pose numismatic (and financial) obstacles for collectors. There are several highly collectible varieties in the series that collectors enjoy pursuing, and three of them emerged during just one year: 1873. They are the 1873 Closed 3, 1873 Open 3, and 1873 Doubled Liberty.

1873 Closed 3 and Open 3

Comparison of the Open 3 and Closed 3 Indian Cents. Click image to enlarge.

Two different styles of the date numeral “3” were used on 1873 Indian Cents: one that looked somewhat like an “8” (the Closed 3) and another that appeared more clearly as the number “3” (Open 3).

The Closed 3 was the first style of “3” used that year and features a thicker-looking number with more bulbous serifs. The Closed 3 is the decidedly scarcer of the two varieties and was replaced later in the year with the much more common Open 3. The “3” of the Open 3 carries slender serifs and overall has a thinner appearance.

Open 3 examples are much more widely available in better grades than the Closed 3; the latter offers a relatively scarce 2,500 survivors according to PCGS estimates, with a mere 50 extant in grades of MS60. Contrast those paltry sums against the much more abundant 4,000 examples and some 120 in MS60 or higher grades.

1873 Doubled Liberty

1873 Doubled Liberty Indian Cent. Click image to enlarge.

The 1873 Doubled Die Indian Cent is one of the most sought-after of the varietal coins in the series. It’s also one of the rarest with approximately 600 estimated to exist according to PCGS. The vast majority of graded examples are circulated, and only 25 are believed to be in grades of MS60 or better. Of the uncirculated specimens, most fall into the MS63 to MS64 range; examples grading higher than that are elusive.