Lincoln Memorial Cent

United States · 1959-2008

A standard United States copper-colored cent featuring President Abraham Lincoln on the obverse and the Lincoln Memorial on the reverse.

Country: United States
Year: 1959-2008
Denomination: 1 Cent

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Identified September 18, 2026More united states coins →

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Overview

A standard United States copper-colored cent featuring President Abraham Lincoln on the obverse and the Lincoln Memorial on the reverse.

Historical significance

Introduced in 1959 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth, replacing the Wheat reverse design used since 1909.

Obverse (front)

Right-facing portrait of President Abraham Lincoln with the word 'LIBERTY' to the left, the motto 'IN GOD WE TRUST' above, and the year of issue to the right. Designed by Victor David Brenner.

Reverse (back)

Depiction of the Lincoln Memorial featuring the statue of Lincoln inside, surrounded by the inscriptions 'UNITED STATES OF AMERICA', 'E PLURIBUS UNUM', and the denomination 'ONE CENT'. Designed by Frank Gasparro.

Estimated value

$0.01 to $0.10 in circulated condition; $1..00 to $10.00+ in high-grade uncirculated condition, excluding rare errors.

What drives this coin's value

Condition/grade (Mint State vs circulated), presence of mint errors (like doubled dies), and specific key date modern varieties.

Grade assessment

About Uncirculated (AU) to Mint State (MS) based on the crispness of details and remaining luster.

Mintage & rarity

Very common; billions were minted annually across multiple mints, making most dates readily available.

Authenticity & counterfeit red flags

Counterfeits are extremely rare for standard business-strike modern cents due to their low face value, though collectors watch for altered dates or rare transitional errors.

Notable varieties & errors

1960 Small Date and Large Date varieties, 1982 transitional composition varieties, and various doubled die obverse errors.

Similar coins

Lincoln Wheat Cent (earlier reverse) and Lincoln Shield Cent (later reverse)

Care & preservation

Store in a dry, room-temperature environment. Avoid touching the surfaces with bare fingers to prevent oils from causing corrosion or spotting. Do not clean, as harsh cleaning ruins numismatic value.