2010 Lincoln Shield Cent
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 1,963,630,000 made
- Mintage
- 1,963,630,000
- Metal
- 97.5% zinc core, 2.5% copper plating
- Weight
- 2.5 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 2010 Lincoln Shield Cent worth?
In circulated condition it's worth face value. Only uncirculated coins with full original luster, or a recognized variety, carry a premium.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 2010 Lincoln Shield Cent rare?
- Not in absolute terms: 2 billion 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 2010 Lincoln Shield Cent?
- On the obverse, below the date. Philadelphia cents have no mint mark, except the 2017-P (struck for the Mint's 225th anniversary).
- Which Philadelphia dates near 2010 are scarcer?
- None. Within five years either side, no Philadelphia issue had a smaller mintage than the 2010.
- How many 2010 Lincoln Shield Cent coins were made?
- 1,963,630,000.
What to check on your 2010
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 2010-S Lincoln Shield Cent Proof (1,689,364 made) is the one to compare with.
- Bubbles, peeling or gray patches on a zinc cent are corrosion of the copper plating, not a minting error. They don't add value.
- Judge the grade under good light. Modern zinc cents are judged on luster and eye appeal; spots, scratches and plating flaws lower value. Proofs are graded for cameo contrast (CAM / DCAM).
With 2 billion made, the 2010 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 2010
2010 was the first year of the Lincoln Shield Cent. Philadelphia struck 1,963,630,000 of them. The next year it made 2.4 billion (2011).
2010-D came to 2 billion, so neither mint's 2010 coin is much scarcer than the other.
Only the 2025 and the 2024 have a lower mintage among Philadelphia's 16 Lincoln Shield Cents. No Lincoln Shield Cent of the 2010s had a smaller run.
The Union Shield arrives (2010 to 2013)
In 2010 the Lincoln Shield reverse by Lyndall Bass replaced the Memorial reverse. The shield symbolizes Lincoln's preservation of the Union, with E PLURIBUS UNUM on a banner across the top and ONE CENT on a scroll. Production started below 2 billion at Philadelphia in 2010, then climbed steadily to more than 3 billion by 2012 and 2013.
The 2010 uncirculated sets were the last to include satin finish cents, which makes that version a one year type for the Shield design. Philadelphia and Denver coins from these years are common, while proofs were made only at San Francisco. Collectors look for doubled dies and die cracks, but the most important factor is surface quality, since copper-plated zinc can spot or discolor easily.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 2010
The Union Shield reverse replaced the Lincoln Memorial on the cent. The America the Beautiful quarters began, honoring a national park or site in every state and territory.
How to recognize it
The reverse shows a union shield with a scroll reading ONE CENT across it, with E PLURIBUS UNUM above and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the top. The shield stands for Lincoln's work to preserve the Union. The obverse keeps the Lincoln portrait, with the date and any mint mark to the right.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Lincoln Shield Cent (2010–present) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2010 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 1,963,630,000 |
| Face value | 1¢ |
| Composition | 97.5% zinc core, 2.5% copper plating |
| Weight | 2.5 grams |
| Diameter | 19.05 mm |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | Lyndall Bass (reverse), sculpted by Joseph Menna |
Other 2010 Lincoln Shield Cent issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 Lincoln Shield Cent | 1,963,630,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2010-D Lincoln Shield Cent | 2,047,200,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2010-S Lincoln Shield Cent Proof | 1,689,364 | 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.