If you have ever seen an Indian head cent, you are looking at the work of the engraver James B. Longacre. He was the fourth person to hold the position of Chief Engraver of the United States Mint. He started out as a portrait artist and eventually because an engraver of portraits. During that time, before photography and modern printing developed, a portrait engraver would take a painting and make an engraving of it. Printers then used that engraving to print the portrait in books and other publications. One noted engraved portrait of Longacre’s was a famous rendition of Daniel Boone, sold widely during the 1830s.

In 1844, James B. Longacre became the Chief Engraver of the US Mint, after the death of the former engraver, Christian Gobrecht. He remained in that post until he died in 1869. Many of the historical coins of the United States came from his work such as the Liberty Double Eagle pictured below.

One of his most famous pieces was the Indian head cent. This penny was the standard design from 1859 through 1909. The face of the penny shows a Native American wearing a feathered headdress. Many of these pennies survive through today. Some years are rarer than others are. The 1877 is one of the most valuable. And the two years of minting in San Francisco, 1908-1909, are prizes to coin collectors.

Another famous design of James B. Longacre was the Liberty Head gold dollar coins. After the California gold rush, there was an emerging need for a gold dollar in American coinage. Longacre made a coin with the head of a stylized Liberty surrounded by 13 stars. The coin was extremely small however. It was just over ½ inch in diameter. Because of its small size, many people ended up losing them. In response, Longacre made the coin slightly bigger with a different Liberty head. Another redesign in 1856 was the final one. It remained in production until 1889.

James B. Longacre also designed the Flying Eagle penny, the 20-dollar gold piece, the 3-dollar gold piece, the Shield nickel, the 2-cent piece, and the 3-cent piece. The US Mint continued using Longacre’s designs until the last one ceased production in 1909, a full forty years after his death. His legacy continues in the world of coin collecting.

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