Lincoln Memorial Cent

United States · 1973

A standard US copper penny featuring Abraham Lincoln and the Lincoln Memorial. The coin appears to have a gold-colored coating or has been chemically altered, as its color is unnaturally bright for a 1973 cent.

Country: United States
Year: 1973
Denomination: One Cent
Metal: 95% copper, 5% zinc/tin

This report is AI-generated and can be wrong. Always verify grade, authenticity, and value with a qualified dealer or certified grading service before buying, selling, or insuring.

Identified May 17, 2026More united states coins →

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Overview

Historical significance

The Lincoln Memorial design was introduced in 1959 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's birth. The 1973 issue is a common circulation date from the mid-Memorial era.

Obverse (front)

Right-facing portrait of Abraham Lincoln, 'IN GOD WE TRUST' above, 'LIBERTY' to the left, and '1973 S' to the right. Original design by Victor David Brenner.

Reverse (back)

View of the Lincoln Memorial; 'UNITED STATES OF AMERICA' and 'E PLURIBUS UNUM' above, 'ONE CENT' below. Design by Frank Gasparro.

Estimated value

$0.01 - $0.05 in circulated condition. Rare 'S' business strikes in MS-65 or higher can fetch $10-$20. Plates or chemically altered coins have no numismatic premium.

What drives this coin's value

Condition (grade), mint mark, and the presence of any unlisted errors. The 'gold' appearance usually indicates a high-school chemistry experiment or third-party plating, which typically decreases value to collectors.

Grade assessment

Very Fine to Extremely Fine (VF-EF); shows moderate wear on Lincoln's hair and the memorial steps, but the unnatural color indicates environmental damage or post-mint alteration ('reprocessing').

Mintage & rarity

317,177,295 minted at San Francisco. This is a common date for the era.

Authenticity & counterfeit red flags

Check weight (should be ~3.1g). Look for 'plating' lines around the edges of letters. Real gold examples of these do not exist; any gold-colored penny from 1973 is almost certainly plated outside the mint.

Notable varieties & errors

Doubled Die Obverse (DDO) and Doubled Die Reverse (DDR) varieties exist but are minor for this year.

Similar coins

1973 and 1973-D cents are identical but lack the 'S' mint mark. It is often confused with rare gold errors, though no such errors are known for this year.

Care & preservation

Store in a cool, dry place. Do not clean with chemicals, as this coin already shows signs of surface alteration. Handle by the edges to avoid fingerprints.