Best Of

@IkesT said:

@jmlanzaf said:
The pattern does appear to have fairly smooth feather edges.

Absolutely not. The crenulations are perfectly clear, even on that photo.

But they are not as pronounced as on the circulation strike you show.

@Jacques_Loungecoque said:
I think the kids these days say, “my bad.”

at least here we wouldn't say everything is your bad

@IkesT said:
Looks like a perfect opportunity to continue our discussion of this coin so that all may be further educated. There is still additional information to be mined from the coin, and I think folks will find it interesting, as well.

When a hub is redesigned, we tend to latch on to one or two of the more obvious changes (such as the rounded bust vs. pointed bust and "No L" vs. "L", as previously discussed); however, a careful examination will often reveal other differences that are useful in cases of mistaken ID, such as this one.

An 1866 Indian cent (whether a pattern, proof, or business strike) has crenulated (wavy) margins on the feathers of the headdress, particularly on the 1st and 2nd feathers. This is readily apparent even on VF examples:

1866 1c PCGS MS65

1866 1c PCGS VF25

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In contrast, the "No L" cents from 1859 to 1864 do not have the same crenulations on the feathers; the feather margins are smooth:

1860 1c PCGS MS66 (Rounded Bust)

OP Coin NGC VF Details

Once again, the OP coin clearly cannot be dated 1866, as its obverse design predates that year. From what we can see of the date (as previously discussed), a damaged 1860 is the most reasonable choice. People have been polite and courteous in their assessments, but politeness should not be mistaken for uncertainty.

The pattern does appear to have fairly smooth feather edges.