<Tr> <Th> Designer </Th> <Td> James B. Longacre </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Design date </Th> <Td> 1860 </Td> </Tr> <P> The Indian Head cent, also known as an Indian Head penny, was a one - cent coin ($0.01) produced by the United States Bureau of the Mint from 1859 to 1909 . It was designed by James Barton Longacre, the Chief Engraver at the Philadelphia Mint . </P> <P> From 1793 to 1857, the cent was a copper coin about the size of a half dollar . The discovery of gold in California caused a large inflation in prices . As gold became more abundant, the price of copper rose . Cent and half - cent manufacture was one of the only profit centers for the Mint and by 1850 the Mint began looking for alternatives . In 1857 the Mint reduced the size of the cent and changed the composition to 12% nickel and 88% copper (copper - nickel), issuing a new design, the Flying Eagle cent . The new pieces were identical in diameter to modern cents, though thicker . This was the first use of copper - nickel by the United States . The copper - nickel made them look brighter and they began to be called "White cent" or "Nicks". </P>

When was the last indian head penny made