Lincoln Cent Rare Dates and Die Varieties - Appraising Your Coin Collection

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Copyright 2015 by Kevin Flynn, All Rights Reserved

There are literally hundreds of doubled dies and repunched mint marks in the Lincoln cent series. Flynn’s book, The Authoritative Reference on Lincoln Cents, Second Edition, covers most of the better die varieties for this series.

As with most copper coins, full fire engine red colored coins are much more preferred and command a higher premium. It is important to be able to distinguish coins that are original, those that have naturally toned, and coins that have been artificially colored through a chemical treatment. Lincoln cent matte proof coins for example were stored in a tissue paper when mailed from the Mint, which contained elements that reacted with the surface of the coin and caused them to tone. Artificially toned coins will greatly reduce the value and will normally be certified as such by third party grading services.

Many of the Lincoln cents struck between 1909 and 1932 from the Denver and San Francisco branch mints are relatively common in circulated grades but much rarer and command a higher premium in uncirculated grades as relatively few were saved.

Rare Dates

Note: No Lincoln cents were struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1922. Three different obverses used at the Denver Mint had a D mint mark that was either partially or fully filled.

Circulation Die Varieties

Proof Die Varieties

Special Coins

1943 P,D,S Copper cents – The Mint steel for the cents in 1943 as copper was needed for the war effort. Several 1943 cents were struck on left over copper planchets. The rarest of these is the 1943-D Copper cent, of which only one specimen is known and is worth over a million dollars.

1944 P,D,S Steel cents – The Mint switch back to copper for the cents in 1944. Several of the 1944 cents were struck on leftover steel planchets. These off-planchet error coins are also worth thousands of dollars.

Previous: Indian Cent Rare Dates and Die Varieties
Next: Two Cent Rare Dates and Die Varieties
Copyright 2015 by Kevin Flynn, All Rights Reserved