White cents?

Question: What is a “white cent?” I saw an 1863 white cent mentioned in an old catalog but I have never seen it in a modern one?

Answer: The term “white cent” is no longer popular, but in the past was used to refer to copper-nickel cents made with 88% copper and 12% nickel. Cents with this composition were struck in the Flying Eagle series from 1856 to 1858 and in the Indian Head series from 1859 to 1864.