In 1877, merely 852,500 Indian Head pennies were issued by the Philadelphia Mint - one for every 50 Americans then living. Comparatively few Americans collected pennies by date at the time, and there was a penny shortage in commerce, so the vast majority of the mintage circulated heavily and was lost to collectors. Today the 1877 date is the hardest-to-find Indian Head penny issue. Well-traveled Good quality with basic designs intact and clear dates/inscriptions.