2023 Lincoln Shield Cent
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 2,262,000,000 made
- Mintage
- 2,262,000,000
- 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 2023 Lincoln Shield Cent worth?
A worn 2023 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
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 2023 Lincoln Shield Cent rare?
- No. 2.3 billion were made, a typical run for the series. Condition and varieties decide its value, not the date.
- Where is the mint mark on a 2023 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 2023 are scarcer?
- The 2025 at 655,200,000, the 2024 at 1,712,000,000. So the 2023 is on the scarcer side for those years.
- How many 2023 Lincoln Shield Cent coins were made?
- 2,262,000,000.
What to check on your 2023
- 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 2023-S Lincoln Shield Cent Proof (369,236 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 2.3 billion made, the 2023 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 2023
Philadelphia made 2,262,000,000 in 2023, down from 3.1 billion in 2022. The next year it made 1.7 billion (2024).
2023-D came to 2.3 billion, so neither mint's 2023 coin is much scarcer than the other.
Philadelphia struck the Lincoln Shield Cent in 16 issues between 2010 and 2025. By mintage this one lands in the scarcer half, while the key for that mint is the 2025 (655,200,000). Within the 2020s it's 6th smallest of 12, between the 2023-D (2.3 billion) and the 2022 (3.1 billion).
Declining output and the end of the cent (2022 to 2025)
Cent production fell steadily in these years as the cost of making each coin climbed above three cents. Output dropped to about 2.3 billion per mint in 2023 and to about 1.7 billion at Philadelphia in 2024. In 2025 the Treasury announced it would stop ordering new cent blanks. Only about 655 million cents were struck at Philadelphia and 645 million at Denver.
The last circulating cents were struck at the Philadelphia Mint in November 2025, ending production after more than 230 years. A small number of final cents were struck with an omega privy mark for collectors. Proof cents from San Francisco continued in collector sets through 2025. With no new cents being made, existing coins continue to circulate. Many people are now saving 2025 cents as the end of an era.
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 | 2023 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 2,262,000,000 |
| 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 2023 Lincoln Shield Cent issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Lincoln Shield Cent | 2,262,000,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2023-D Lincoln Shield Cent | 2,260,800,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2023-S Lincoln Shield Cent Proof | 369,236 | 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.