1909-S Indian Cent - 1909-S Indian 1C, NGC MS66 RB CAC. This key date 1909-S Indian Cent is the finest known at CAC and tied for the finest known at NGC and PCGS. The coin is well struck with full details on the lower feathers, diamonds on the ribbon, the shield, and the details of the leaves. Its wood grain red and brown mixture, along with its glossy mint luster, affirms the coins originality. The surfaces are clean with no visible abrasion marks or other distractions. The CAC sticker indicates that the coin fully merits the assigned grade and is a premium quality piece.

James B. Longacre designed the Indian Cent. The obverse shows Liberty facing left in profile wearing a LIBERTY inscribed headdress. Her hair is combed back and over her ear and flows down beneath the truncation. A band with four diamonds is attached to the back of the headdress and comes over her hair past the truncation. She is surrounded with the inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA with the date below. The reverse shows the denomination written as ONE CENT surrounded by an oak wreath with a Union shield at the top and a ribbon holding the parts of the wreath and three arrows together below. Dentils are around the periphery of both sides of the coin, and the edge is plain. The mintmark is on the reverse under the bow knot. 

Longacres double eagle design was a new concept that endured well past the turn of the century. When Longacre first came to work at the Mint, he was opposed by Franklin Peale, the Chief Coiner. Peale was probably responsible for some blundered dies that Longacre was criticized for making. Peal was involved in a private, illegal medal manufacturing business using Mint facilities. He was concerned that this new political appointee would interfere with his business, and he resisted Longacres appointment as Chief Engraver. In the end Peale was found out and fired in 1854. Longacre flourished in his position and was responsible for creating many new designs including the Indian Head cent, the two-cent piece, the Shield nickel, the Liberty Head gold dollar, the Indian Princess gold dollar, the three-dollar gold piece, and the Liberty Head double eagle. 

The San Francisco Mint opened in 1854 because of the need to coin gold resulting from the California Gold Rush. In the West there was an abundance of gold bullion, nuggets and dust; however, there was also an acute shortage of circulating coinage. Congress authorized this mint to relieve the shortage and coin silver and gold and because transportation of bullion to Philadelphia was time consuming and hazardous. Because of its proximity to the Gold Rush area, San Francisco was chosen as the site of the new mint.  In 1874 it moved into a new building called the Old United States Mint or the Granite Lady. It is one of the few structures that survived the earthquake of 1906. It remained in service as a mint until 1938, when the present facility opened.

The 1909-S is a key date because it is the lowest mintage Indian Cent. In its population report, NGC shows 9 in MS66 RB condition with none better. At PCGS there are 3 in MS66 RB with none better. These numbers do not account for crossovers or resubmissions. At CAC, as of September 2013, the present coin is only one confirmed at MS66 RB with none better.