1971-S Lincoln Memorial Cent
Circulation strike struck at the San Francisco Mint · 525,133,459 made
- Mintage
- 525,133,459
- 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 1971-S Lincoln Memorial Cent worth?
Worn examples are worth face value and can be spent. Keep it only if it looks uncirculated or shows a known variety.
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 1971-S Lincoln Memorial Cent rare?
- Not in absolute terms: 525 million were made. It is one of the smaller runs in the series, though, so uncirculated examples are worth a little more than most dates.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1971 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 1971 are scarcer?
- The 1968-S at 258,270,001, the 1973-S at 317,177,295, the 1972-S at 376,939,108, plus 1 more. So the 1971-S is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1971-S Lincoln Memorial Cent coins were made?
- 525,133,459.
What to check on your 1971-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 1971 (1.9 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 1971-S Lincoln Memorial Cent Proof (3,220,733 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 525 million made, the 1971-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 1971-S
San Francisco made 525,133,459 in 1971, down from 691 million in 1970. The next year it made 377 million (1972-S).
The other mints made far more that year: 1971-D alone came to 2.9 billion, roughly 5.5 for every 1971-S. That makes the 1971-S the scarcer 1971 coin, though still a common one.
San Francisco struck the Lincoln Memorial Cent in 7 issues between 1968 and 1974. By mintage this one lands in the more common half, while the key for that mint is the 1968-S (258,270,001). Within the 1970s it's 4th smallest of 25, between the 1974-S (409 million) and the 1970-S (691 million).
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 1971
The Eisenhower dollar was introduced and the Kennedy half dollar changed to copper-nickel clad.
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 | 1971 |
| Mint | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 525,133,459 |
| 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 1971 Lincoln Memorial Cent issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 Lincoln Memorial Cent | 1,919,490,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1971-D Lincoln Memorial Cent | 2,911,045,600 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1971-S Lincoln Memorial Cent | 525,133,459 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1971-S Lincoln Memorial Cent Proof | 3,220,733 | 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.