Designed by: James Barton Longacre
Issue Date: 1859
Composition: 88% copper, 12% nickel
Diameter: 19 mm
Weight: 4.66 grams (72 grains)
Edge: Plain
Proof Mintage: 800 (estimated)

Proof coins had been struck by the Philadelphia mint since the early 1820s, but prior to 1858, strikings were occasional, and distribution was confined primarily to those with special connections at the Mint, to influential politicians, foreign dignitaries, and others. Among the more famous of the early Proof coins were the pieces in the set presented to the King of Siam in the mid 1830s (which included an 1804 silver dollar) and the well-known 1856 Flying Eagle cent, of which several thousand were made for members of Congress, and later, for sale to collectors.

Beginning in 1858, Proof sets became readily available to collectors on a regular, annual basis and were struck continually until 1916 when production was suspended for a 20-year period. During the early period, Proof coins were not sold in sets, but individually. As the least-expensive examples, the copper and nickel minor coins enjoyed the most popularity and consequently saw the highest mintages. During the copper-nickel cent period (1859-1864) mintages have been estimated in the 800-1,000 range, except for 1862 which is roughly double that range.

Copper-nickel Proof Indian cents today are found most often in grades of PR-64 and 65, with PR-66s being somewhat scarce though not difficult to find. PR-67 coins are rare. Around 20% or so of these issues are found with Cameo contrast, but Deep Cameos are seen on less than 2%.