Lincoln Memorial Cent

United States · 1998

A standard United States one-cent coin featuring President Abraham Lincoln on the obverse and the Lincoln Memorial on the reverse, showing typical circulation wear.

Country: United States
Year: 1998
Denomination: 1 Cent
Metal: 97.5% Zinc, 2.5% Copper plating

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Identified August 29, 2026More united states coins →

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Overview

A standard United States one-cent coin featuring President Abraham Lincoln on the obverse and the Lincoln Memorial on the reverse, showing typical circulation wear.

Historical significance

The Lincoln Memorial reverse was introduced in 1959 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's birth. By 1998, the composition had been copper-plated zinc for over a decade, which was adopted in 1982 due to rising copper prices.

Obverse (front)

Right-facing bust of President Abraham Lincoln with the motto 'IN GOD WE TRUST' above, 'LIBERTY' to the left, and the year '1998' along with the 'D' mint mark to the right. Designed by Victor D. Brenner.

Reverse (back)

Depiction of the Lincoln Memorial with the denomination 'ONE CENT' below, 'UNITED STATES OF AMERICA' and 'E PLURIBUS UNUM' above. Designer initials 'FG' (Frank Gasparro) appear to the right of the memorial base.

Estimated value

$0.01 to $0.10 in circulated condition; up to a few dollars in pristine uncirculated mint state grades.

What drives this coin's value

Overall condition (grade), presence of mint state red copper luster, and rare mint errors such as doubled dies.

Grade assessment

About Uncirculated (AU) to Mint State (MS), showing light handling marks and slight wear on the highest points of the design.

Mintage & rarity

High mintage, very common. Billions were produced across Philadelphia and Denver mints.

Authenticity & counterfeit red flags

Counterfeits for common date modern cents are virtually non-existent because the face value exceeds the cost of production. Check weight and composition if suspicious.

Notable varieties & errors

Look out for 'Wide AM' and 'Close AM' reverse design varieties, particularly prominent on 1998-S proofs and occasionally sought after in business strikes, though most 1998 business strikes are the 'Close AM' variety.

Similar coins

Other Lincoln Memorial cents from different years (1959-2008), Lincoln Shield cents (2010-present), and Lincoln Wheat cents (1909-1958).

Care & preservation

Handle by the edges using clean cotton gloves if uncirculated. Store in a dry, low-humidity environment in inert holders like 2x2 flips or coin tubes. Avoid harsh cleaning or wiping, as this damages the surface and destroys numismatic value.