Findings at the Victorian Cottage

Discovering the Past

Over the past three months, our new volunteer David Cyr has been hard at work landscaping the grounds at the Victorian Cottage. Recently, while clearing an area on the west side of the property, Dave discovered an 1896 Indian Penny!

The Victorian Cottage was built in 1883 by Newell Matson, a Chicago jeweler who built the cottage, either for himself or his newly married daughter, Ella. The design, considered stylish for a middle-class Victorian family, was taken from a plan book.

Mrs. Thomas, from 25 W. Maple Street, sitting side yare on the west side of 23 W. Maple Street, c.1900s.

Did you know?

As the first long-running small cent, the Indian Head penny paved the way for the cent pieces we know and use every day.

First minted in 1859, the Indian Head penny was an attempted correction to the failed Flying Eagle cent that had been in use for the last three years. James B. Longacre, the designer of both coins, created a design that both fixed the strike issues of the previous cent and forged a long-lasting numismatic legacy.

The obverse features a profile bust portrait that is not actually an “Indian Head” but rather Lady Liberty wearing a Native American feather headdress. She is flanked on either side by the legend “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” and below her is the year of mintage.

1896 Penny, Found on West Side of the Victorian Cottage, July 2020.

Source: https://treasurepursuits.com/1896-indian-head-penny