1892 Indian Head Cent Repunched Date FS-301 Snow-8

Description

Cross-referenced as FS-301 and Snow-8, this 1892 Indian Head Cent displays a repunched date variety where the original 8 and 2 were punched east of the final date position. Repunched dates occurred during the 19th century when date logotypes were individually hand-punched into each working die — any repositioning of the punch between hammer blows left overlapping impressions of the date numerals on the die face, which then transferred to every coin struck from that die. On this variety, the initial impressions of the 8 and 2 appear to the east (right) of their final positions, meaning the date punch was corrected by moving it slightly westward (left) for the final placement. The FS-301 designation from the Cherrypickers' Guide and the Snow-8 listing from the Snow attribution system provide independent cross-referencing, confirming this variety's recognition across multiple major reference works for Indian Head Cent varieties. James Barton Longacre designed the Indian Head Cent, featuring Liberty wearing a Native American feathered headdress on the obverse and a wreath with shield on the reverse. The 1892 issue was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in bronze composition (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc), weighing 3.11 grams at 19.05 mm diameter with a plain edge. The 1892 date had a mintage of approximately 37.6 million cents, a substantial production run that provided a large population from which repunched date varieties could emerge. Repunched dates are a popular collecting specialty within the Indian Head Cent series, as the hand-punching process used throughout the series' run (1859-1909) created numerous date-position anomalies across different years and dies. For attribution, collectors should examine the 8 and 2 digits under 10x or higher magnification, looking for traces of the original eastward punch position appearing as faint secondary impressions to the right of the final date digits.

Attribution History

• FS-301, Snow-8