S Mintmark Lincoln Cents

they are tons of them out there. I would spend them

They are not worth anything, but I always keep them. The ATB Quarters not withstanding, everyone always equates S mint maked coins with proofs, it is cool to collect circulation strikes from the San Fran mint.

I concur with denco7, while not worth more than any other copper cent I save them since they are more unusual and interesting. I also save S mint mark nickels from the same period.

YES absolutely, the san fran pennies from 68-74 have some of the lowest mintages, some are very hard to find.

S mint coins tend to covet a higher interest and value normally because of lower mintages. Modern circulation strikes may not garner higher premiums just yet but will so in the future. For this reason I keep the higher grade specimens I come across (I also keep high grade Ps and Ds). On average only 1/400 cents are S mint (East Coast). I get way more Canadian cents here than S mints. But as noted, the folks in California and places west expect around 7 S mint cents per roll. Being common may be a more relative term given location.

Spending them or saving them mostly depends on if you need the money or not. Think of this. In about 100 or 200 years, that coin could be worth ten times it's face value.

As noted in every "kill the penny" thread on this forum, once cent is an inconsequential amount of money. Realistically, it doesn't matter if you keep them, spend them, or throw them in the trash in terms of how much money you would be tying up or saving.

Personally, I keep all the S mint cents I find--I have maybe 50 in total from years of roll hunting and change-checking (east coast). I doubt they will ever be worth anything in circulated condition, though.