1902 Penny Coin Value: Errors List & No Mint Mark Worth

Few people realize how far 1902 Indian Head Penny value can stretch — from $0.01 face value up to $144,000. A Grade 68 example sold through Stack’s Bowers in June 2022 set that record. Upload a photo of yours below to get a quick value range, then scroll down to check recent eBay sales and see what collectors are actually paying today.

 

1902 Penny Value By Variety

Philadelphia was the only mint striking cents until 1908, so every 1902 penny came from the same facility. Here’s what each variety is worth today.

If you know the grade of your coin, you can find the exact price below in the Value Guides section.

Also Read: Indian Head Penny Coin Value (1859-1909)

 

Top 10 Most Valuable 1902 Penny Worth Money

The coin sitting at #1 is an MS68 Red that hammered for $144,000 at Stack’s Bowers in June 2022. Only two 1902 pennies have ever graded that high. At that level, you’re not just buying a coin — you’re buying one of the finest surviving Indian Heads of any date.

MS67 examples have brought $66,000 and $40,800. A PCGS MS67 Red realized $18,600 at Heritage Auctions in January 2024, and an NGC MS66+ Red brought $4,200 at Stack’s Bowers in August 2023. Even an MS60 specimen hit $4,370 at auction, and a PCGS MS65 Red CAC sold for $840 at Legend Rare Coin Auctions in March 2023. The jump between grades is massive on this date.

 

History Of The 1902 Penny

By 1902, the Indian Head cent had been in production for over four decades. James B. Longacre designed it, and despite the name, the portrait actually shows Lady Liberty wearing a Native American headdress — not a real Native American. The reverse oak wreath with shield had been in use since 1860, and the composition had been 95% copper with 5% tin and zinc since 1864.

What makes 1902 interesting is timing. The country was bouncing back from the Panic of 1893, and commercial growth was accelerating. Coin-operated machines were popping up everywhere, driving huge demand for cents. The 1902 mintage of 87.3 million was the third-highest in the entire Indian Head series. Just seven years later, Lincoln replaced the design for good.

Here’s a fun detail: numismatic scholar Richard Snow documented many key die varieties for this series in his reference, A Guide Book of Flying Eagle and Indian Head Cents (Whitman Publishing, 2009). That book is still the go-to for cherrypicking Indian Head varieties today.

Also Read: 54 Most Valuable Indian Head Penny Worth Money (1859-1909)

 

Is Your 1902 Penny Rare?

Here’s what trips people up: 87 million were minted, so how can any 1902 penny be rare? The answer is color and grade. In lower grades, this date is everywhere. But above MS65 Red, the population drops off a cliff. Fewer than 20 examples have been certified at MS67 Red across PCGS and NGC combined. At MS68 Red, only two exist. So your beat-up pocket piece isn’t rare — but a blazing red gem absolutely is.

Want a quick assessment? Use the Coin Identifier and Value App to check your 1902 penny’s rarity instantly.

 

Key Features Of The 1902 Penny

Knowing the design details helps you spot fakes and grade more accurately. Here’s what to look for on each side.

The Obverse Of The 1902 Penny

Lady Liberty faces left, wearing a feathered headdress with “LIBERTY” inscribed on the headband. That headband is the first place to check when grading — on well-worn coins, those letters vanish before anything else.

The date “1902” sits at the bottom below the bust, and “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” runs around the rim. Flip the coin under a light and look closely at the feather details, Liberty’s cheek, and her hair curls. Sharpness there tells you a lot about the grade.

The Reverse Of The 1902 Penny

Flip it over and you’ll see an oak wreath open at the top with a shield sitting above it. “ONE CENT” is displayed inside the wreath, and a ribbon ties the bottom together. Look below the bow — three arrows are bound there with points facing right.

This oak wreath design replaced the original 1859 laurel wreath in 1860, so it defined nearly the entire series run.

Other Features Of The 1902 Penny

The coin has a plain edge and measures 19.05 mm in diameter. It weighs 3.11 grams and is composed of 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc.

Also Read: Top 100 Most Valuable Pennies Coin Worth Money List (1959 – Present)

 

1902 Penny Value: Understanding Color Designations (BN, RB, RD)

Color designation is the single biggest value driver most people overlook on copper coins. Because these are 95% copper, the surface changes over time as the metal reacts with air and moisture.

PCGS and NGC assign one of three color codes to uncirculated copper coins. BN (Brown) means the coin has fully toned to brown — the most common result after 120+ years. RB (Red-Brown) means you still see a mix of original reddish luster alongside brown toning. RD (Red) means the coin kept most or all of its original bright copper color. That’s the rarest and most valuable designation.

The price gap is huge. At MS65, a BN example typically brings $250–$300, an RB commands $400–$500, and a full RD sells for $600–$750. At MS67, a Red example can bring four to five times what a Brown coin in the same numerical grade sells for.

One thing I always tell people: never clean a coin trying to bring back the color. Cleaning destroys the natural surfaces and kills any shot at an RD or even RB designation. You’ll tank the value.

 

1902 Penny Mintage & Survival Data

The 1902 had a business strike mintage of 87,374,704 coins — third-highest in the entire Indian Head series. But here’s the reality check: only about 1,000 survive in truly collectible condition. That’s a survival rate of 0.0011%. Picture a football stadium packed with 87,000 people. One person in that crowd represents a surviving collectible example.

On top of the regular strikes, the Philadelphia Mint produced 2,018 proof coins in 1902 using specially polished dies and hand-selected planchets. High-grade proofs are extremely scarce today.

Also Read: Top 100 Most Valuable Wheat Pennies Coin Worth Money (1909 – 1958)

 

The Easy Way to Know Your 1902 Penny Value

Start by checking the coin’s surface for wear and looking for any visible errors. Compare what you see against grading standards to estimate condition.

Want a faster answer? Try the Coin Identifier and Value App to get an instant value estimate for your 1902 penny.

 

1902 Penny Value Guides

• 1902 No Mint Mark Penny: The standard business strike from Philadelphia with a mintage of 87,374,704.
• 1902 Proof Penny: A limited collector edition with only 2,018 pieces struck using polished dies and hand-selected planchets.
• 1902 CAM (Cameo) Penny: A proof coin with frosted device designs against deeply mirrored fields — CAM stands for Cameo, a designation given to proofs struck early in a die’s life cycle.

Business strikes are the easiest entry point. Proofs and cameos are where you go when you want top-tier quality and real scarcity.

 

1902 No Mint Mark Penny Value

Most collectors assume a coin with 87+ million minted can’t be worth much. They’re right — until you get above MS65 Red. That’s where the population thins out fast, and prices go vertical.

Only two examples have ever been certified at MS68. The record holder sold for $144,000 at Stack’s Bowers in June 2022. It’s one of just seven Indian Head cents ever graded that high across all years.

A January 2024 Heritage Auctions sale of a PCGS MS67 Red realized $18,600, and an NGC MS66+ Red brought $4,200 at Stack’s Bowers in August 2023. If you’ve got one of these with full red luster and clean surfaces, you’re sitting on something special.

The chart below shows recent auction results across different platforms and grades.

For a closer look at monthly sales activity over the past year, see the market trends below.

Market activity score: 76/100 as of Oct 2026 — up 33 points from Jul 2026. 12-month peak: 80 (Dec 2025).

 

1902 Proof Penny Value

Did you know only 2,018 proof pennies were struck in 1902? These were collector coins from day one — polished dies, hand-selected planchets, mirror-like fields. They look completely different from business strikes when you hold them side by side.

Most have toned to Brown over 120+ years. The ones that kept their Red color are where the real money is. Brown proofs start around $160 for PR62. Red-Brown examples range from $160 at PR61 up to approximately $5,500 at PR67+. Full Red specimens begin around $325 for PR63 and climb to about $40,000 each for the three known examples graded PR68.

The top auction price hit $39,100 at Bowers & Merena in April 2008 for a PR68 Red example.

The chart below tracks auction results by platform, price, and grade.

Monthly market activity over the past year is shown in the following chart.

Market activity score: 56/100 as of Oct 2026 — up 18 points from Jul 2026. 12-month peak: 61 (Sep 2026).

 

1902 CAM Penny Value

What makes a cameo proof so eye-catching? The raised design elements look frosty white against deeply mirrored fields. It’s a two-tone contrast that makes the design pop in a way regular proofs can’t match.

This frosted effect happens naturally when fresh, polished dies are first put to work. The raised portions of the design hold a different surface texture than the flat fields. As the dies wear from repeated strikes, that frost fades. So not every proof earns the CAM designation — and on coins from this era, cameos are genuinely tough to find in any grade.

CAM-designated 1902 pennies start at approximately $1,350 for PR64 examples. The finest known are graded PR67 and valued at approximately $26,000. The auction record stands at $31,200 for a PR67 example sold at Stack’s Bowers in August 2019.

Below is a summary of auction results by platform, grade, and realized price.

The following chart displays monthly sales trends over the past twelve months.

Market activity score: 38/100 as of Oct 2026 — unchanged since Jul 2026. 12-month peak: 56 (Dec 2025).

Also Read: 42 Rare Penny Errors List with Pictures (By Year)

 

Rare 1902 Penny Error List

The high mintage in 1902 meant heavy die wear and plenty of striking anomalies. That’s good news for cherrypickers. Here are the errors and varieties worth hunting for.

1902 Penny Die Gouge FS-401 (Snow-4)

This is the rock star error of all 1900s Indian Head cents. It’s catalogued as FS-401 in the Fivas-Stanton reference and Snow-4 in Richard Snow’s Guide Book of Flying Eagle and Indian Head Cents. A defect on the die created a thick raised diagonal line running across Liberty’s lower eyelid.

You can spot it without magnification. Look for that diagonal line crossing the bottom of Liberty’s eye and ending near her eyebrow tip. Indianvarieties.com confirms this one is extraordinary in strength. It shows up across all three color designations and in grades from well-circulated up to gem mint state.

An AU58 Brown example catalogued as Snow-4 sold for $225 on eBay in May 2021. An MS63 Brown die gouge example brought $240 in 2021. The highest recorded sale was $602 for an MS64 Red-Brown at Stack’s Bowers in March 2015. I think these are still undervalued compared to similar dramatic varieties on other dates.

 

1902 Penny Doubled Die Obverse (DDO) FS-101

This is the most visually dramatic die variety for the date. The hub impressed the working die more than once at a slightly different angle, leaving visible doubling on the design.

On the 1902 FS-101, check “LIBERTY” on the headdress and Liberty’s facial features for the doubling. It’s rated R4 on the rarity scale — roughly 76–200 examples known. Values run $1,800–$2,500 in MS65 Red, making it the priciest die variety for this year.

1902 Penny Repunched Date FS-301 (1902/902)

Ever notice ghost digits under the date on an old coin? That’s a repunched date. On this variety, the date was punched into the die more than once, and you can see remnants of an earlier “902” beneath the final date. It’s rated R5 — approximately 31–75 known.

Look at the bottom curves of the date numerals for shadows of earlier punches. Values run $700–$1,000 in MS63–MS64 Red. A solid cherrypicking target.

1902 Penny Off-Center Strike

When the planchet wasn’t centered between the dies at the moment of striking, part of the design got cut off. You’ll see a blank crescent of metal on one side.

Value depends on two things: how far off-center, and whether the date survived. A 15% off-center certified MS64 Brown example has been listed for $450. A 20% off-center at the same grade reached $725. Major off-center strikes of 75% or more with the date still readable can hit $1,000–$2,500.

1902 Penny Double-Struck Error

These coins took two full hits from the dies, often at different rotations. The result is two overlapping design images — visually wild and always a conversation starter.

A double-struck 1902 Indian Cent in collar sold for $74 at VG8 in 2010. Values generally run $750–$3,000 or more depending on how dramatic the displacement is between strikes and the coin’s overall grade. The more misaligned, the more collectors want it.

1902 Penny Clipped Planchet Error

A clipped planchet happens when the coin blank was punched incorrectly from the metal strip, leaving a “bite” out of one edge. To confirm it’s genuine and not post-mint damage, look for the “Blakesley Effect” — a thinning of design elements directly opposite the clip.

Values range from $25–$150 depending on clip size and overall grade.

 

Where To Sell Your 1902 Penny?

Ready to sell your 1902 penny? Choosing the right platform matters. We have compiled a list of the best online coin selling platforms, including their pros and cons, to help you get the best deal for your coin.

Check out now: Best Places To Sell Coins Online (Pros & Cons)  

 

1902 Penny Market Trend

Market interest: 8,740 collectors tracking this coin as of Oct 2026 — up 1,000 from Mar 2026. Currently at its 12-month peak.

*Market Trend Chart showing the number of people paying attention to this coin.

The 1902 Indian Head Penny market has been climbing steadily. Since 2019, MS65 Red examples have gained approximately 20% in value, while MS67 Red examples have appreciated close to 35%.

The biggest price jumps happen between MS65 and MS66, then again between MS66 and MS67 — prices often double or triple at each step. We expect modest annual gains of 5–7% for premium examples at MS65 Red and above over the next several years.

 

FAQ About The 1902 Penny Value

1. How much is a 1902 Indian Head Penny worth?

It depends on condition and color. Circulated examples in Good condition average around $5.26, while Fine-grade coins reach approximately $18.01. Mint State Red specimens average near $2,639.57. The all-time record is $144,000 for an MS68 Red example sold at Stack’s Bowers in June 2022.

2. Is a 1902 penny rare?

Not in lower grades — 87 million were minted. But high-grade survivors are a completely different story. Fewer than 20 examples have ever been certified at MS67 Red, and only two exist at MS68 Red. About 1,000 total survive in truly collectible condition.

3. What errors should I look for on a 1902 penny?

The big one is the Die Gouge FS-401 (Snow-4) — a raised diagonal line crossing Liberty’s lower eyelid, visible without magnification. Also look for the Doubled Die Obverse FS-101 (doubling on “LIBERTY”), the 1902/902 Repunched Date FS-301 (ghosting beneath the date digits), off-center strikes, and double-struck errors.

4. What does the color designation BN, RB, or RD mean on a 1902 penny?

These describe surface color on uncirculated copper coins. BN (Brown) means fully toned — the most common. RB (Red-Brown) shows a mix of original red luster and brown toning. RD (Red) means the coin kept most of its original bright copper color — rarest and most valuable. At MS65, a full RD example is worth roughly double a BN in the same grade.

5. What are 1902 proof pennies, and how are they different from regular pennies?

Proof pennies were made for collectors, not circulation. Only 2,018 were struck in 1902 using polished dies and hand-selected planchets. The result is mirror-like fields and sharper detail. Red proofs in PR68 are valued at approximately $40,000 each.

6. What is a 1902 Cameo penny and why is it more valuable?

A Cameo (CAM) proof has frosted raised designs against deeply mirrored fields — a striking two-tone look. It only happens on coins struck from fresh, unworn dies, so not every proof qualifies.

A 1902 CAM proof starts at around $1,350 for PR64, compared to roughly $325 for a standard Red proof at the same grade. The finest known PR67 Cameo examples are valued at approximately $26,000.

7. How do I grade my 1902 Indian Head Penny at home?

Check the highest points first: feather tips, Liberty’s cheek, and “LIBERTY” on the headband. If all feathers are sharp and “LIBERTY” reads fully, you’re at least Very Fine. Hold the coin under a light and rotate it — if the cheek shows no wear and you see original luster, it may be uncirculated. Any rubbing under a rotating light means wear. For a formal grade, submit to PCGS or NGC.

8. Has the 1902 penny market been increasing in value in recent years?

Yes. Since 2019, MS65 Red examples have gained roughly 20% and MS67 Red examples approximately 35%. Demand for premium Indian Head cents keeps growing, and the supply of problem-free, original-luster survivors keeps shrinking. Expect continued gains of 5–7% annually for gems at MS65 Red and above.

9. Is the 1902 Indian Head Penny a key date in the series?

No. The real key dates are the 1877 (mintage of only 852,500) and the 1909-S (only 309,000 struck). The 1902 is a common date in lower grades — but it becomes a condition rarity above MS65 Red, where the surviving population is tiny.

10. Should I clean my 1902 penny before selling it?

Never. Cleaning permanently destroys original surfaces and eliminates any chance of an RD or RB designation from a grading service. A cleaned coin is worth a fraction of an untouched example. Even dark or dirty coins are better left alone. Handle by the edges only and store in an inert holder away from humidity.