1965 Lincoln Memorial Cent

Officially 50 years old which is one criteria to get a post on this blog. Is it special or rare? No, but that is not why I collect.

This was the first year the U.S. Mint stopped adding mint marks to coins. This was done to stop collectors from hoarding coins. Years early the mint announced they would eliminate silver fro  coins. This news and the rising value of silver had people falsely thinking they could get rich off their pocket change.

Amateur collectors popped out by the millions. They also started to notice that coins had mint marks and different ones had different values. They expanded their hoarding to every type of coin. The results were a temporary shortage and the government trying to correct it. For the next three years, 1965, 1966, 1968, the mint kept making coins in different locations just not labeling them.

As the silver market settled down and people moved on to the next craze the mint again started putting mint marks on coins.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 1 Cent  / United States
Year: 1965
Mintage: 1,497,224,900
Metal: 95% Copper, 5% Zinc
Value: $0.02 in EF-40

Do you have a cent and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

1959-D Lincoln Memorial Cent

Took a while to find this first Lincoln Memorial cent from Denver again. They are not rare despite their age but since they look like every other Memorial cent it is difficult to notice them in your change.

So far the only really difficult Lincoln Memorial cent to find in your change is the 1960 Small Date cent. Still I have not found that on after 20+ years of intense change search. Again even that cent is not that rare or valuable but time and other collectors have made it less likely to find it in the wild.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 1 Cent  / United States
Year: 1959-D
Mintage: 1,279,760,000
Metal: 95% Copper, 5% Tin and Zinc
Value: $0.02 in EF-40

Do you have a cent and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

1964-D Lincoln Memorial Cent

If you follow this blog you know I collect most everything from my change but very common coins must be at least 50 years old to get a post. It is one arbitrary rule I set and keeps my collection in check.

I found the 1964 cent on January 2nd, 2014 and posted about it a few weeks later. Back in April I found this one and finally I get to show it off. Well not much to show off as the grade for this modern coin is not great and for not much money you can get an uncirculated version.

As a passive collector I let the coins come to me or pick them up from floors and trays when I can. There is no need to spend a fortune getting coins. There are literally hundreds of unique coins and currency in your change. Go ahead try and get one of each for the last 50 years and see how difficult and fun it will be, I'll wait...

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 1 Cent  / United States
Year: 1964-D
Mintage: 3,799,071,500
Metal: 95% Copper, 5% Tin, and Possibly Zinc
Value: $0.02 in EF-40

Do you have a cent and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

1959 Lincoln Memorial Cent

The first Lincoln Memorial reverse cent was issued in 1959 for the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's birth. The design was done by Frank Gasparro who worked at the mint and was approved with the help of a special Lincoln Sesquicentennial Commission.

At the time some people noted that the reverse looked like a trolley car but as trolleys became less popular those comparisons did not last long. The Lincoln Memorial national monument was dedicated in 1922 and has been a sacred place for almost a hundred years. It is also on the reverse of the five dollar bill and other coins throughout the years. It also has been in many movies because of the iconic sitting Lincoln at the center.

For a Lincoln Memorial cent to get a high grade all the steps and columns on the Memorial must but clear, sharp, and unmarked in any way. A thing most people do not realize is that Lincoln is featured twice on this cent, the tiny sitting Lincoln statue should be visible in the center of the reverse. After 50 years the Lincoln reverse was retired and new designs were issued. Lasting from 1959-2008 this is the cent that I grew up with and will always be my standard cent.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 1 Cent  / United States
Year: 1959
Mintage: 609,715,000
Metal: 95% Copper, 5% Tin and Zinc
Value: $0.02 in EF-40

Do you have a cent and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

1961-D Lincoln Memorial Cent

A billion more of these 1961 Denver cents were made compared to the Philadelphia cent. While Denver mints always tend to make more coins this time it seemed a bit excessive for some unknown reason.

This one is in rough shape. The damage is helping dirt and fibers get caught on the surface, which will lead to more damage. It is easy enough to upgrade for cheap or free. Since I just use the first example I find in my change to feature on the blog this one is perfectly acceptable.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 1 Cent / United States
Year: 1961-D
Mintage: 1,753,266,700
Metal: 95% Copper, 5% Zinc
Value: $0.02 in G-4

Do you have a cent and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you. 

1960-D Lincoln Memorial Cent, Small Date

Let us compare the small date and large date cents. The small date seems a bit more scarce from the Denver mint even though they have the same value.

For the small date pictured above:

• The top of the 9 is almost even to the top of the 1. 
• The top of the 6 is near the center of the 6.
• The 9 and 6  have flatter ends.

For the large date pictured above:

• The top of the 9 is always higher than the top of the 1. 
• The top of the 6 is at the same or very close to the right most edge of the 6.
• The 0 looks perfectly round and not as thin.

In circulated condition either variety has no extra value above metal content, which is about $0.02.  The reason for the varieties is unclear to me but it probably was just a batch of new master dies that were redone. A tiny difference in the date caused many problems including over dates and varieties.

Were they perfectly made then no one would notice that the dies were redone. It happens all the time but only when there are slight changes will we notice.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 1 Cent  / United States
Year: 1960-D Small Date
Mintage: 1,580,884,000 (both types included)
Metal: 95% Copper, 5% Tin, and Possibly Zinc
Value: $0.02 in EF-40

Do you have a cent and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

1964 Lincoln Memorial Cent

On this Valentine's Day let me share my love of change finds. This was my first find in 2014 and last year I would have rejected this cent. This coin was rescued from my change because it turned 50 years old and that is all I need to collect common coins.

The cent is kind of gunky and pretty worn for a relatively new cent. My self-imposed rule of keeping all common coins that happen to be 50 years old is kind of silly. This coin in this shape will never have more than metal value even if we stop using small change.

It is also noteworthy to point out this coin was the first to reach over 2.5 billion in production for the U.S. and while that seems common now it was a huge achievement for the mint. The likely cause of the huge production spike was one part need but the are part was to build stockpiles as they phased out mint marks.

Mint marks were being discouraged because of hoarding and production issues. By 1965 mint marks would vanish on coins but in anticipation they made sure to boost production in 1964. That coupled with the change in coin composition for the silver types made for a bunch of common coin that year.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 1 Cent  / United States
Year: 1964
Mintage: 2,648,575,000
Metal: 95% Copper, 5% Tin, and Possibly Zinc
Value: $0.02 in EF-40

Do you have a cent and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

1960-D Lincoln Memorial Cent, Large Date

There are 7 varieties of 1960 cents but the most common seems to be the 1960-D large date. The four common types are large and small dates for both mints. There are also some errors that have large date over small dates and small dates over large, plus one D over D error. Not a surprise I keep finding the boring old large date variety.

Like the 1960 Lincoln cent, Large Date I found a while back it can be difficult to tell the dates apart unless you know what to look for on the front of the coin.

For the large date:

• The top of the 9 is always higher than the top of the 1. 
• The top of the 6 is at the same or very close to the right most edge of the 6.

Still have not found a small date or maybe I did but I have not noticed. One problem with collecting is that I do not always remember all the varieties. I know I found a 1960 cent but I often forget to recheck it for the other varieties.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 1 Cent  / United States
Year: 1960-D Large Date
Mintage: 1,580,884,000 (both types included)
Metal: 95% Copper, 5% Tin, and Possibly Zinc
Value: $0.02 in EF-40

Do you have a cent and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

1963-D Lincoln Memorial Cent

Not bad looking for a 51 year old circulated coin out of Denver. Granted for less than a quarter I can probably buy one in mint state. This is a found in change coin so I will give myself a break.

There is a slight rainbow toning on the front but it is mostly scratched and probably will never have more than metal value. I mean almost two billion were made so they will always be common.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 1 Cent / United States
Year: 1963-D
Mintage: 1,774,020,400
Metal: 95% Copper, 5% Zinc
Value: $0.02 in G-4

Do you have a cent and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you. 

1962 Lincoln Memorial Cent

Have a 1962 cent and want to know its value? Leave a comment

At least it is copper, well mostly. 51 is the new 41 and this 1962 barely looks it. Sure it may have sat in a puddle and developed some green verdigris damage but that just adds color.

Not as common as the 1962-D this is still an average cent. Those waiting to cash in on metal value saw a slight rise a few years ago but have seen a steady decline ever since. If you have the the option of buying copper cents or any metal coins or buying a plot of land I suggest you go for the land.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 1 Cent  / United States
Year: 1962
Mintage: 606,045,000
Metal: 95% Copper, 5% Tin, and Possibly Zinc
Value: $0.02 in EF-40

Do you have a cent and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

1963 Lincoln Memorial Cent

Have an older cent and want to know its value? Leave a comment

Happy 50th birthday to this Lincoln cent. So you are half a century old and still not special. Well that is okay at least you survived.

Yes this coin has no extra value over metal content but it is getting old. As the years pass coins get harder to find. I suggest picking a certain time and start collecting coins before that time. 25 years seems a bit short while 100 years seems a bit long. Picking an arbitrary year like 1964 is fine but that leaves out newer coins that eventually will become classics. Again it is not about value but making sure your future collection is complete.

 Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 1 Cent / United States
Year: 1963
Mintage: 754,110,000
Metal: 95% Copper, 5% Zinc
Value: $0.02 in G-4

Do you have a cent and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you. 

1961 Lincoln Memorial Cent

Have an older cent and want to know its value? Leave a comment

This follows my self imposed rule about saving common cents that are 50 years or older. Yes it is normal and holds no extra value above metal content but it is becoming more difficult to find.

The 50+ years rule was set up because that is a good round number where things start to become classics. Even with coins it is a good time to set them aside because they get more scarce each year that passes. Back when I did the Cent Project challenge I found out that the 1961 cent from Philly only made up 0.24% of my finds.

Between 1959-2012 there are about 133 different U.S. cents to reasonable collect. The most common I found are 1994 (3.80%) and 1989 (3.95%) not surprisingly because these were minted in high amounts, also they are recent coins. Older coins were made in lower amounts and thanks to natural loss and hoarders they are seen less in change each year.

Should you bother doing the same? Probably not it would be wiser to buy one high quality graded example.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 1 Cent / United States
Year: 1961
Mintage: 753,345,000
Metal: 95% Copper, 5% Zinc
Value: $0.02 in G-4

Do you have a cent and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you. 

1960 Lincoln Cent, Large Date

Have a cent and want to know its value? Leave a comment

There are large date and small date varieties on all 1960 cents. I have not found a 1960 small date since this blog began so I cannot feature one yet. Still I can show you how to tell if your 1960 is a large date.

We will focus on identifying a 1960 large cent.

For the large date:

• The top of the 9 is always higher than the top of the 1. 
• The top of the 6 is at the same or very close to the right most edge of the 6.

For the small date:

• The top of the 9 is equal or lower than the top of the 1.
• The top of the 6 stops halfway to edge and is very close to the center of the 6.

The small date is more scarce but the exact percentage is not really known. Seeing how I cannot recall the last time I found one I think it is at 1% (about 5,864, 050). That is still a lot of cents so even if you have a small date it is about $0.30 in extremely-fine or about 15 times the value of the large date.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 1 Cent  / United States
Year: 1960 Large Date
Mintage: 586,405,000 (both types included)
Metal: 95% Copper, 5% Tin, and Possibly Zinc
Value: $0.02 in EF-40

Yes if I find the small date I will do a side by side comparison but since I am using original pictures and finds it may take a while.

Do you have a cent and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

1962-D Lincoln Memorial Cent

Have a cent and want to know its value? Leave a comment

Maybe it is the heat or still being full of Fourth of July fun and food but I found this common cent and want to showcase it. The only thing that makes it post worthy is that it is 50 years old. Sure America is 236 but I have yet to find a coin that old in my change.

Let me see anything interesting about this one.
Oh the 1962-D had triple the production of the 1962 cent.

There is some sticky stuff and lint on this one. I think that is about it, enjoy.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 1 Cent  / United States
Year: 1962-D
Mintage: 1,793,148,140
Metal: 95% Copper, 5% Tin, and Possibly Zinc
Value: $0.02 in EF-40

Do you have a cent and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.