1968-S Lincoln Memorial Cent
Circulation strike struck at the San Francisco Mint · 258,270,001 made
- Mintage
- 258,270,001
- Metal
- 95% copper, 5% zinc
- Weight
- 3.11 g
- Diameter
- 19.05 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 1968-S Lincoln Memorial Cent worth?
A worn 1968-S is a spender: face value. A bright uncirculated one, or one with a known error, is worth setting aside.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- Full red copper color (labeled RD) rather than brown
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1968-S Lincoln Memorial Cent rare?
- Yes. Only 258,270,001 were made, the lowest of any regular Lincoln Memorial Cent.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1968 Lincoln Memorial Cent?
- On the obverse, below the date. Philadelphia cents have no mint mark (except the 2017-P, which is a Lincoln Shield cent). On this coin the mark is S, for San Francisco.
- Which San Francisco dates near 1968 are scarcer?
- None. Within five years either side, no San Francisco issue had a smaller mintage than the 1968-S.
- How many 1968-S Lincoln Memorial Cent coins were made?
- 258,270,001.
What to check on your 1968-S
- Make sure the mint mark really is an S. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1968 (1.7 billion made).
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 1968-S Lincoln Memorial Cent Proof (3,041,506 made) is the one to compare with.
- Judge the grade under good light. Wear first shows on Lincoln's cheekbone and hair. Doubled-die varieties from 1969-S, 1972, 1983 (reverse), 1984 and 1995 are the big money coins, so always check the lettering under magnification.
With 258 million made, the 1968-S still turns up in everyday change. Keep yours only if it looks uncirculated or shows a variety; otherwise it's worth face value.
The story of the 1968-S
This was the first time San Francisco made the Lincoln Memorial Cent for circulation: 258,270,001 coins. The next year it made 544 million (1969-S).
The other mints made far more that year: 1968-D alone came to 2.9 billion, roughly 11 for every 1968-S. That makes the 1968-S the scarcer 1968 coin, though still a common one.
Of the 7 Lincoln Memorial Cents San Francisco struck between 1968 and 1974, this is the scarcest. No Lincoln Memorial Cent of the 1960s had a smaller run.
No mint marks, special sets and famous doubled dies (1965 to 1973)
The Coinage Act of 1965 left the cent's bronze composition unchanged, but the Mint dropped mint marks from all coins from 1965 to 1967 to discourage hoarding. Collectors were offered Special Mint Sets with satin finish coins instead of proof sets. Mint marks returned in 1968. San Francisco resumed striking cents with an S for the first time since 1955.
Several doubled dies come from this period. The 1969-S doubled die obverse is rare and widely counterfeited. The 1971 and 1972 have doubled die obverses. The 1972 is one of the most dramatic, with strong doubling on the date and LIBERTY. The 1970-S has a scarce small date variety, also called the high 7. Copper prices were rising by 1973, which pushed the Treasury to look for a cheaper metal.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1968
Mint marks returned. On the nickel, dime, quarter and half dollar they moved to the obverse. Proof coin production moved from Philadelphia to San Francisco.
How to recognize it
The obverse keeps Victor David Brenner's portrait of Lincoln with the date and mint mark on the right. The reverse, by Frank Gasparro, shows the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., with a tiny statue of Lincoln visible between the central columns. E PLURIBUS UNUM is above the building and ONE CENT below. Look for the FG initials to the right of the steps.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Lincoln Memorial Cent (1959–2008) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1968 |
| Mint | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 258,270,001 |
| Face value | 1¢ |
| Composition | 95% copper, 5% zinc (brass) |
| Weight | 3.11 grams |
| Diameter | 19.05 mm |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | Victor David Brenner (obverse); Frank Gasparro (reverse) |
Other 1968 Lincoln Memorial Cent issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 Lincoln Memorial Cent | 1,707,880,970 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1968-D Lincoln Memorial Cent | 2,886,269,600 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1968-S Lincoln Memorial Cent | 258,270,001 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1968-S Lincoln Memorial Cent Proof | 3,041,506 | Proof | – |
Mintage: Lincoln cent mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.