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GETTING STARTED Ⅲ MITCH SANDERS The Lincoln Memorial Cent
Collectors looking for variety and availability will find a lot to like about this common coin.
statue is visible, meaning that Lincoln 20-percent lighter. Today, rising metal actually appears on both sides of prices again are an issue, with the cent’s HE LINCOLN the coin. intrinsic value exceeding its face value. Memorial cent The piece has undergone some im- As a current coin with tremendous truly is a common portant changes over time. The ob- mintage, the Lincoln Memorial cent can coin. More than 400 verse portrait was retouched in 1969, be collected from circulation or bank billion of these coins and subsequent modifications have fa- rolls. Recently, I was able to find nice have been produced—that’s cilitated production by lowering the examples of nearly all date/mintmark approximately 1,300 cents for every per- coin’s relief. combinations after looking through son in the United States. However, most The cent’s composition also has var- $50 worth of pennies. I was pleased to Americans are not particularly inter- ied. Originally bronze, with 95-percent discover early examples with original, ested in their share: pennies routinely copper and 5-percent tin and zinc, the red coloration, and locate several San languish in drawers and jars, and often coin’s alloy switched to brass when Francisco Mint issues. Alternatively, are given away freely at cash registers. tin was removed in 1962. A more rad- inexpensive specimens are readily But numismatists have not neglected ical change was considered in 1973, available from dealers. the lowly cent. Collectors seeking a when more than a million experimental Collecting options go beyond basic coin with an interesting story, consider- aluminum cents (dated 1974) were dates and mintmarks. Proof-only able variety and wide availability will coined. The idea was abandoned after issues with “S” mintmarks have been find a lot to like about the Lincoln copper prices dropped, and these made annually since 1975. And digit Memorial cent. cents were never officially released. By styles have changed periodically, with When the original Lincoln cent was 1982, the concern with cost had re- “large date” and “small date” cents introduced in 1909, the Lincoln Memo- turned, and a midyear switch was made made in 1960, 1970 and 1982. rial was barely in the planning stages. to copper-plated zinc—identical on the Some collectors also pursue coins It was completed in 1922, built in the outside, but about from mismade dies. Many varieties V style of a Greek temple and located within sight of the Washington Mon- ument and the U.S. Capitol. Daniel Chester French’s 19-foot-tall statue of a contemplative Abraham Lin- coln sits inside. The Lincoln Memorial has been featured on the cent’s reverse since 1959, when the original Wheat de-
sign was replaced on the 150th an- COIN PHOTO: ANA ARCHIVES niversary of Lincoln’s birth. Victor David Brenner’s portrait of Lincoln remained on the obverse, paired with Frank Gasparro’s facing view of the Memorial. A tiny image of Lincoln’s
ᮣ Because of its tremendous mintage, the Lincoln Memorial cent offers hobbyists an inexpensive opportunity to assemble a collection.
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GETTING STARTED Ⅲ continued
are subtle and inexpensive: some have repunched or phantom mintmarks, and others are made from proof dies. The most dramatic mistakes show doubled design images. The 1995 issue with doubled LIBERTY is relatively inexpensive, but other prominent doubled-die cents, like the 1983, 1972 and especially the 1969-S, are scarce. Another rare variety was struck in 1990, when the “S” mintmark acciden- Memorial cent was introduced, its days tally was omitted from some proofs. could be numbered. For Lincoln’s bicen- As generally is the case with numis- tennial in 2009, four reverse designs matics, several useful references are will portray various aspects of his life, available. Whitman’s Guide Book of and afterward, the cent’s reverse will United States Coins (the “Red Book”) honor his preservation of the Union. presents values for all date-mintmark Whatever the future holds, the appeal combinations and popular varieties, of the Lincoln Memorial cent will while David Lange’s Complete Guide to remain strong. For a beginning numis- Lincoln Cents has extensive details matist seeking an introduction to coin about the entire series. The Cherry– collecting, or for an established numis- pickers’ Guide to Rare Die Varieties by matist looking for a “back to basics” Bill Fivaz and J.T. Stanton offers a mul- project, the common Lincoln Memorial titude of listings. cent is an uncommonly fine collectible. Nearly 50 years after the Lincoln [email protected]
122 NUMISMATIST • SEPTEMBER 2006 www.money.org