1881 "L" Indian head?????

[Guest]

Hi, I am trying to figure out this one///////// seems incredible right???/ I just took tht pics right now, if its damage or decoloration it sure is on a weird spot...... it looks like the 1864 L IH

[coop]

It is the designers initial.

[Rubenthelincolnguy]

I look at it once and again and I am just getting dizzy trying not to beleive what I see, I know there is a 99% chance its not a L, but could it be?

[Rubenthelincolnguy]

isn't suposed to be only on 1864??? I didn't know the L showed on every ih...

[coop]

Why not? It was part of the design.

[Rubenthelincolnguy]

so iI was in the wrong assumtion that only 1864 coins had the L, weird cause I have had many IH but never noticed the L on any of them before, just the 1864 L.....

[Rubenthelincolnguy]

That surely solves the mistery!!!!!!!! I feel a little dumb now, but hey, is better to ask isni't?

[flyhi3]

The "L" was first placed on the indian head cent in 1864. However, only a small number of the coins produced had the L. That is why the 1864 L is a key date. It has been used scince 1864, and it is normal on an 1881. Sorry!

[willbrooks]

1864 was the year they switched the design to include the L (for Longacre) on the ribbon and it remained part of the design after that . It is one of the earlier things to get rubbed off by circulation, so maybe that is why you didn't notice it before unless you have uncirculated examples to look at.

[Rubenthelincolnguy]

Thanks, yeah, I had the worng idea, also cause I look over the coin book, and only pcis and mention of the 1964 L and No L are made, and the L is the one that commands higher premium, so I asumed L was rare, no L was normal.... yaiks!

[liveandievarieties]

This is where reading a reference book once in a while is helpful...