"The Indian Head cent is considered by many to be America's most beautiful copper coin. James B. Longacre's design features Liberty in an Indian headdress on the obverse. A laurel wreath was used on the reverse of the 1859 issue, and was replaced by an oak wreath and a small shield in 1860. Composition is 88% copper and 12% nickel from 1859-1864, and bronze (95% copper and 5% tin and zinc) from 1864 onward. In 1864 , the designer's initial "L" was added to the obverse behind Liberty's neck on the lower ribbon of her headdress. There are "L" and No "L" varieties of the 1864 issue (all later years have the "L"). Except for the San Francisco mint issues of 1908 and 1909 (mint mark on reverse below the wreath), all Indian Head cents were struck in Philadelphia and have no mint mark."