Lincoln Memorial Cent

United States of America · 1982 (Large Date)

A copper-colored United States Lincoln cent with visible corrosion and wear, featuring Abraham Lincoln on the obverse and the Lincoln Memorial on the reverse.

Country: United States of America
Year: 1982 (Large Date)
Denomination: One Cent ($0.01)

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Overview

A copper-colored United States Lincoln cent with visible corrosion and wear, featuring Abraham Lincoln on the obverse and the Lincoln Memorial on the reverse.

Historical significance

1982 is a significant transitional year for the US cent, as the composition changed from 95% copper alloy to copper-plated zinc to reduce production costs. This year produced seven major regular-issue varieties.

Obverse (front)

Portrait of Abraham Lincoln facing right, originally designed by Victor David Brenner. Legends: 'IN GOD WE TRUST', 'LIBERTY', and the date '1982'.

Reverse (back)

The Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., designed by Frank Gasparro. Legends: 'UNITED STATES OF AMERICA', 'E PLURIBUS UNUM', and 'ONE CENT'.

Estimated value

$0.01 to $0.05 in current condition due to heavy corrosion and commonality.

What drives this coin's value

Condition, composition (copper vs. zinc), and date size (Large Date vs. Small Date). The 1982-D Small Date Copper is the only major rarity of this year.

Grade assessment

About Good (AG-3) to Good (G-4) Details; heavily corroded and damaged with significant surface spotting.

Mintage & rarity

Extremely Common; billions were minted in 1982. This is not a rare coin.

Authenticity & counterfeit red flags

Authentic, but damaged. Common for zinc-core cents to bubble and pit like this as the copper plating fails.

Notable varieties & errors

Seven standard varieties: 1982 Large/Small Date (Copper), 1982 Large/Small Date (Zinc), 1982-D Large Date (Copper/Zinc), and 1982-D Small Date (Zinc only as standard issue). The 1982-D Small Date Copper is a rare error-type discovery coin found in 2016. This coin appears to be a Large Date Philadelphia issue. This coin appears to be a Large Date Philadelphia issue based on the '8' and '2' alignment with the rim.

Similar coins

1982-D Small Date cent. Distinguished by the shape of the '2' and the weight of the coin.

Care & preservation

Store in a dry, PVC-free holder. Avoid cleaning, especially since this zinc-core coin is already showing signs of oxidation ('zinc rot'), which can accelerate if exposed to moisture.