1920-S 1C, RD MS(PCGS#2530)

1920-S 1C, RD MS (PCGS#2530)

Spring 2026 Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Lot Description: This handsome example exhibits lovely pale rose-red color to both sides. Blushes of powder blue and pinkish-apricot are also discernible as the surfaces dip into direct lighting - very attractive. With the vast majority of Mint State 1920-S cents softly defined due to having been coined from worn dies, this boldly struck and expertly preserved Gem represents a significant find for the advanced Lincoln cent enthusiast.<p>The budget and staffing cuts at the Mint after World War I had an especially deleterious effect at the San Francisco facility. Production of Lincoln cents dropped off by nearly a hundred million coins from the previous year, down to a comparatively small 46,220,000 pieces. Quality, too, suffered, as almost all known examples of the 1920-S cent were struck using heavily worn dies prepared from equally worn hubs, resulting in an issue with chronically poor striking characteristics and seldom found with full Red color. While the issue was hoarded beginning in the mid- to late 1930s, by then Mint State examples were seldom encountered, if at all. With only a pair of specimens certified finer at PCGS, and even then just barely, an overall well struck example in PCGS MS-65 RD, as here, is a hidden gem waiting for only the finest of cabinets.