The dates to check first
These are the lowest-mintage Memorial pennies struck for circulation. If you're sorting a jar or an inherited collection, pull these dates out before anything else and check the mint mark carefully.
- 1968-S Lincoln Memorial Cent: 258,270,001 made.
- 1965 Lincoln Memorial Cent: 301,470,000 made.
- 1973-S Lincoln Memorial Cent: 317,177,295 made.
- 1972-S Lincoln Memorial Cent: 376,939,108 made.
- 1974-S Lincoln Memorial Cent: 409,426,660 made.
- 1971-S Lincoln Memorial Cent: 525,133,459 made.
Every lincoln memorial penny by date and mint
Click any date for its full page: how many were made, the mint mark location, varieties and what to check. Mint marks matter: the same year can be common from one mint and scarce from another.
| Date and mint | Mintage | Value band | Also look for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959-D | 1,279,760,000 | Face value | |
| 1959 | 609,715,000 | Face value | |
| 1960-D | 1,580,884,000 | Face value | |
| 1960 | 586,405,000 | Face value | 1960 Proof (Small Date) |
| 1961-D | 1,753,266,700 | Face value | |
| 1961 | 753,345,000 | Face value | |
| 1962-D | 1,793,148,400 | Face value | |
| 1962 | 606,045,000 | Face value | |
| 1963-D | 1,774,020,400 | Face value | |
| 1963 | 754,110,000 | Face value | |
| 1964-D | 3,799,071,500 | Face value | |
| 1964 | 2,451,945,000 | Face value | |
| 1965 | 301,470,000 | Face value | |
| 1966 | 811,100,000 | Face value | |
| 1967 | 907,575,000 | Face value | |
| 1968-D | 2,886,269,600 | Face value | |
| 1968 | 1,707,880,970 | Face value | |
| 1968-S | 258,270,001 | Face value | |
| 1969-D | 4,002,832,200 | Face value | |
| 1969 | 1,136,910,000 | Face value | |
| 1969-S | 544,375,000 | Face value | 1969-S Doubled Die Lincoln Cent; The 1969-S Doubled Die Obverse is a major rarity |
| 1970-D | 2,891,438,900 | Face value | |
| 1970 | 1,898,315,000 | Face value | |
| 1970-S | 690,560,004 | Face value | 1970-S Small Date Lincoln Cent; 1970-S Proof (Large Date, Low 7) |
| 1971-D | 2,911,045,600 | Face value | |
| 1971 | 1,919,490,000 | Face value | |
| 1971-S | 525,133,459 | Face value | |
| 1972-D | 2,665,071,400 | Face value | |
| 1972 | 2,933,255,000 | Face value | 1972 Doubled Die Lincoln Cent; Look for the 1972 Doubled Die Obverse, with strong doubling in LIBERTY and IN GOD WE TRUST |
| 1972-S | 376,939,108 | Face value | |
| 1973-D | 3,549,576,588 | Face value | |
| 1973 | 3,728,245,000 | Face value | |
| 1973-S | 317,177,295 | Face value | |
| 1974-D | 4,235,098,000 | Face value | 1974-D Aluminum Cent (Pattern) |
| 1974 | 4,103,183,000 | Face value | 1974 Aluminum Cent (Pattern) |
| 1974-S | 409,426,660 | Face value | |
| 1975-D | 4,505,275,300 | Face value | |
| 1975 | 3,874,182,000 | Face value | 1975 (Aluminum pattern) |
| 1976-D | 4,221,592,455 | Face value | |
| 1976 | 3,133,580,000 | Face value | |
| 1977-D | 4,194,062,300 | Face value | |
| 1977 | 3,074,575,000 | Face value | |
| 1978-D | 4,280,233,400 | Face value | |
| 1978 | 3,735,655,000 | Face value | |
| 1979-D | 4,139,357,254 | Face value | |
| 1979 | 3,560,940,000 | Face value | |
| 1980-D | 5,140,098,660 | Face value | |
| 1980 | 4,653,915,000 | Face value | |
| 1981-D | 5,373,235,677 | Face value | |
| 1981 | 7,491,750,000 | Face value | |
| 1982-D | 6,012,979,368 | Face value | 1982-D Zinc Lincoln Cent |
| 1982 | 10,712,525,000 | Face value | In 1982 the cent switched from brass to copper-plated zinc, so both metals exist along with Large Date and Small Date varieties; 1982 Zinc Lincoln Cent |
| 1983-D | 6,467,199,428 | Face value | |
| 1983 | 7,752,355,000 | Face value | 1983 Doubled Die Reverse Lincoln Cent |
| 1984-D | 5,569,238,906 | Face value | |
| 1984 | 8,151,079,000 | Face value | 1984 Doubled Ear Lincoln Cent |
| 1985-D | 5,287,399,926 | Face value | |
| 1985 | 5,648,489,887 | Face value | |
| 1986-D | 4,442,866,698 | Face value | |
| 1986 | 4,491,395,493 | Face value | |
| 1987-D | 4,879,389,514 | Face value | |
| 1987 | 4,682,466,931 | Face value | |
| 1988-D | 5,253,740,443 | Face value | |
| 1988 | 6,092,810,000 | Face value | |
| 1989-D | 5,345,467,111 | Face value | |
| 1989 | 7,261,535,000 | Face value | |
| 1990-D | 4,922,894,533 | Face value | |
| 1990 | 6,851,765,000 | Face value | |
| 1991-D | 4,158,442,076 | Face value | |
| 1991 | 5,165,940,000 | Face value | |
| 1992-D | 4,448,673,300 | Face value | |
| 1992 | 4,648,905,000 | Face value | |
| 1993-D | 6,426,650,571 | Face value | |
| 1993 | 5,684,705,000 | Face value | |
| 1994-D | 7,131,765,000 | Face value | |
| 1994 | 6,500,850,000 | Face value | |
| 1995-D | 7,128,560,000 | Face value | |
| 1995 | 6,411,440,000 | Face value | 1995 Doubled Die Lincoln Cent; The 1995 Doubled Die Obverse shows doubling in LIBERTY and is one of the most findable valuable modern errors |
| 1996-D | 6,510,795,000 | Face value | |
| 1996 | 6,612,465,000 | Face value | |
| 1997-D | 4,576,555,000 | Face value | |
| 1997 | 4,622,800,000 | Face value | |
| 1998-D | 5,225,200,000 | Face value | |
| 1998 | 5,032,200,000 | Face value | |
| 1999-D | 6,360,065,000 | Face value | |
| 1999 | 5,237,600,000 | Face value | 1999 Wide AM Lincoln Cent |
| 2000-D | 8,774,220,000 | Face value | |
| 2000 | 5,503,200,000 | Face value | |
| 2001-D | 5,374,990,000 | Face value | |
| 2001 | 4,959,600,000 | Face value | |
| 2002-D | 4,028,055,000 | Face value | |
| 2002 | 3,260,800,000 | Face value | |
| 2003-D | 3,548,000,000 | Face value | |
| 2003 | 3,300,000,000 | Face value | |
| 2004-D | 3,456,400,000 | Face value | |
| 2004 | 3,379,600,000 | Face value | |
| 2005-D | 3,764,450,500 | Face value | |
| 2005 | 3,935,600,000 | Face value | |
| 2006-D | 3,944,000,000 | Face value | |
| 2006 | 4,290,000,000 | Face value | |
| 2007-D | 3,638,800,000 | Face value | |
| 2007 | 3,762,400,000 | Face value | |
| 2008-D | 2,849,600,000 | Face value | |
| 2008 | 2,569,600,000 | Face value |
The series in 6 stages
The Memorial reverse and the coin shortage (1959 to 1964)
For the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's birth, Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial reverse replaced the wheat ears in 1959. A tiny statue of Lincoln is visible inside the building, so the cent shows his likeness on both sides. Mintages climbed above a billion at Denver every year of this era.
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.
Aluminum trials, West Point and the zinc switch (1974 to 1982)
Rising copper costs led the Mint to strike about 1.5 million aluminum cents dated 1974 as a test. Congress did not approve them. Nearly all were melted, though a few left the Mint and are not legal to own. Meanwhile, demand kept growing. The West Point facility struck billions of cents in these years with no mint mark, making them indistinguishable from Philadelphia coins.
Copper-plated zinc and the No S proofs (1983 to 1992)
From 1983 every cent was struck on a copper-plated zinc planchet. Annual output often exceeded ten billion combined. The plating proved fragile: these coins often develop bubbles, blisters or dark spots where moisture reaches the zinc core. Many found in change look dull or corroded after a few years.
Close AM, Wide AM and the 1995 doubled die (1993 to 2000)
From 1993 circulating cents were made with the Close AM reverse while proofs used the Wide AM style. A few business strike cents from 1998, 1999 and 2000 were struck with the Wide AM proof reverse. These are scarce varieties worth checking with a magnifier. The 1999 Wide AM is the rarest of the three.
Rising metal costs and the last Memorial cents (2001 to 2008)
Cent production fell from the 2000 peak, settling between about 2.5 and 4.3 billion a year at each mint from 2002. By 2006 rising zinc and copper prices meant the cent cost more than face value to make. In December 2006 the Mint issued rules restricting the melting and export of cents and nickels, since older bronze cents contained more than a cent of metal.
Decade by decade
- 1950s: 2 issues, 1.9 billion coins. Scarcest: 1959 (609,715,000).
- 1960s: 19 issues, 28.4 billion coins. Scarcest: 1968-S (258,270,001).
- 1970s: 25 issues, 71.9 billion coins. Scarcest: 1973-S (317,177,295).
- 1980s: 20 issues, 120.7 billion coins. Scarcest: 1986-D (4,442,866,698).
- 1990s: 20 issues, 113.7 billion coins. Scarcest: 1991-D (4,158,442,076).
- 2000s: 18 issues, 74.3 billion coins. Scarcest: 2008 (2,569,600,000).
Where to find the mint mark
- 1959 to 2008: On the obverse, below the date. Philadelphia cents have no mint mark (except the 2017-P, which is a Lincoln Shield cent).
Identifying and grading Memorial pennies
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.
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.
What the value bands mean
- Face value: worth its face in worn condition; only uncirculated coins and varieties carry a premium.
- Small premium: sells for a little over face or metal value even when worn.
- Collector premium: scarcer than usual, so worn coins sell well above face or metal value.
- Significant rarity: a key date, valuable in any condition and often faked.
Bands describe a coin in ordinary circulated condition. An uncirculated coin with full original luster sits a band or more higher. Recognized varieties can be worth far more than the date itself.
Frequently asked questions
Which Memorial pennies are worth the most?
By mintage, the scarcest circulation issues are the 1968-S Lincoln Memorial Cent (258,270,001), 1965 Lincoln Memorial Cent (301,470,000), 1973-S Lincoln Memorial Cent (317,177,295). Varieties and top-grade coins of common dates can also be valuable.
Are Memorial pennies silver?
No. 1959 to 1961: 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc (bronze); 1962 to 1982: 95% copper, 5% zinc (brass); 1983 to 2008: 97.5% zinc core, 2.5% copper plating.
Why does this chart show bands instead of prices?
Prices change with the market and with each coin's grade, so any printed price goes out of date. A value band tells you which coins are worth a closer look; for a current price, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Mintages: Lincoln cent mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records.