Lincoln Cents have always offered the perfect starting point for anyone interested in coin collecting. Whether you have only a casual interest in learning about coins or are an avid collector, Lincoln Memorial Cents are perfect for virtually any level of numismatic pursuit. While the last Lincoln Memorial Cent was struck in 2008 after the design had been in production for 50 years, these coins are still widely circulating and can be readily obtained at face value. Yet, there are also many rarities in the series that command more than $1,000. So the level of challenge or difficulty you choose are the only limiting factors in building a collection of Lincoln Memorial Cents.
Circulating Lincoln Memorial Cents are everywhere, but there will be some issues you can’t find in change. High-grade, PCGS-graded examples in Mint State, Proof, and Specimen are widely sought by collectors and investors. These coins also carry higher prices. Ultimately, it is your choice as to what level of difficulty you pursue in building a set of Lincoln Memorial Cents – coupled with how much you wish to spend. While many Lincoln Memorial cent dates are quite common, there are numerous doubled die dates as well as some composition changes and small or large date varieties of some dates that carry significant premiums.
But for some composition changes, the Lincoln Memorial Cent had a 50-year production run from 1959 to 2008. There were some minor design tweaks over those 50 years, not to mention some changes to the bronze alloy and later a move to copper-plated zinc planchets. However, the overall motif of the coin remained essentially unchanged until 2009, when the reverse of the Lincoln Cent became a showcase for four different designs honoring the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth. In 2010, the reverse became the permanent host of the Union Shield design by Lyndall Bass.
One of the most important key dates among circulating Lincoln Memorial Cents is the 1970-S Small Date, a scarce coin that takes premiums of a few bucks even in circulated grades. A host of doubled die dates include the 1969-S, 1972, 1983, 1984, and 1995, all of which sell for huge premiums over face value and some going into the tens of thousands of dollars. Collectors also enjoy collecting a run of varieties from 1982 that span the transition from bronze to zinc-based planchets as well as several permutations of large and small dates among the two metallic compositions. One of the most important proof rarities is the 1990 No Mintmark, which sells for more than $3,500.