Lincoln Memorial Cent

The Lincoln Memorial Cent is the reverse design used on the Lincoln cent from 1959 through 2008, replacing the original wheat ears reverse and depicting the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. It is likely the single most commonly handled coin type by generations of Americans, given its enormous mintages over a nearly fifty-year run.

Despite its ubiquity, the series holds real interest for collectors because of notable errors and varieties, most famously the 1972 and 1955-style doubled die cents (though the most famous doubled die wheat cent predates this reverse) as well as the 1982 transition year when the cent's composition changed from mostly copper to copper-plated zinc. Building a complete date-and-mintmark set of Memorial cents is a popular, budget-friendly project for beginning collectors.

The design was retired after 2008 in favor of a series of special Bicentennial reverse designs in 2009, followed by the modern Union Shield reverse starting in 2010.

To commemorate the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth, the Mint introduced a new reverse for the Lincoln cent in 1959, designed by Frank Gasparro and depicting the Lincoln Memorial, replacing the wheat ears reverse used since the cent's debut in 1909. The obverse portrait of Lincoln by Victor David Brenner, in use since 1909, was retained unchanged.

During its long run, the coin's composition shifted in 1982 from a bronze alloy of 95% copper to a much cheaper copper-plated zinc composition, driven by rising copper prices that made the metal value of a cent approach or exceed its face value. Both compositions were struck at various points during 1982 itself, creating a notable transitional year for variety collectors.

The Memorial reverse design was retired after 2008 to make way for a special series of four different reverse designs issued in 2009 to mark Lincoln's 200th birthday, after which the Union Shield reverse was adopted starting in 2010 and remains in use today.

The obverse shows Lincoln's portrait facing right with 'IN GOD WE TRUST' above, 'LIBERTY' to the left, and the date to the right. The reverse depicts the Lincoln Memorial building, with 'UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,' 'E PLURIBUS UNUM,' and 'ONE CENT' arranged around and below it; a small statue of Lincoln seated inside the memorial is visible in the design, tiny enough that it can sometimes be seen with magnification on sharply struck coins.

Mintmarks appear on the obverse below the date: no mintmark for Philadelphia (before 2017), 'D' for Denver, and 'S' for San Francisco (mainly on proof coins after 1974). Coins struck in 1982 or earlier are primarily 95% copper and feel slightly heavier, while coins from late 1982 onward are copper-plated zinc and are noticeably lighter; the two 1982 varieties can only be reliably told apart by weighing the coin, since they look identical.

Doubled die varieties, most notably on certain 1972 and other dates, show clear doubling in the lettering of 'LIBERTY,' 'IN GOD WE TRUST,' or the date, and are identified by comparing suspect coins to published die-variety references.

The overwhelming majority of Lincoln Memorial Cents are extremely common and worth only face value in circulated condition, given the astronomical mintages typical of this denomination. Value is concentrated instead in specific doubled die varieties, certain low-mintage proof or special mint set issues, and coins in exceptional, fully red uncirculated condition, which can bring meaningful premiums from specialists.

The 1982 copper versus zinc transition varieties are a popular, accessible area for new collectors, since distinguishing them requires only a simple weight check, while true doubled die rarities require careful comparison to reference images and sometimes command significant sums in top condition.