Varieties, Errors, & More

First struck in 1909 in recognition of the centennial of President Abraham Lincoln’s birth in 1809, the Lincoln Cent is arguably the most popular and collected series in American history.

The first design, affectionately known as the “Wheat Penny,” was struck from 1909 through 1958. Although it may still be found in circulation and in older jars of accumulated change, one is more likely to encounter the Lincoln Memorial (1959-2008), Bicentennial (2009), and Shield (2010-present) subtypes, as the issues within each subtype were minted in the billions. Nonetheless, there are a number of eye-catching varieties for each of these subtypes that are not only relatively scarce to rare but valuable, to boot.

Three popular and sought-after varieties within the bronze Lincoln Memorial subtype (1959-1982) are the 1960-D Small Date Over Large Date, the 1966 Doubled Die Reverse, and the numerous 1972 Doubled Die Obverses. The 1960-D curiously features a date that appears to have the same date struck over it, only with smaller numerals, giving it added three-dimensional depth in its appearance. The 1966 exhibits noticeable doubling on “ONE CENT,” the designer’s initials, and “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.” The 1972 issue is known to have 10 different doubled die obverses, some more dramatic and rarer than others. (And I would be remiss not to mention the exceptionally rare and valuable 1969-S and 1970-S Doubled Die Obverses. These will be further explored in a future installment.)

The copper-plated zinc Lincoln Memorial subtype (1982-2008) has its share of attention-grabbing varieties. There is a 1982 Small Date with strong doubling on “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” and “ONE CENT.” The 1983 Obverse Die Counterclash displays not only an upside-down impression of LIBERTY above the date but also a major reverse cud die break. Another 1983 issue features reverse doubling even more dramatic than that on the above mentioned 1982. Additionally, there is a 1995 and a 1995-D that features doubling of “IN GOD WE TRUST,” “LIBERTY,” and the date.

Two other types of varieties are also worth mentioning within the Lincoln Memorial subtype. The first involves doubling on the lower part of Lincoln’s ear on a relatively small number of 1983-D, 1984, 1988, and 1997 issues. Another group of dates features the “AM” of “AMERICA” incorrectly spaced apart (known as the “Wide AM”) on a few circulation-strike coins (1999 being the rarest) while conversely, the “AM” appears incorrectly close together (the “Close AM”) on others, with the 1992 and 1992-D being the most difficult to find.

Among the four different design themes for the Bicentennial subtype (2009) resides a curious variety. The Formative Years design features what appears to be an extra index finger or thumb. Numerous reverse dies with some variation of this doubling exist, collecting all of which would itself make for a challenging set to complete.

The current Shield reverse subtype (2010 to Date) also has varieties that are easy to spot. Doubling has been discovered on at least one obverse die for each Philadelphia issue dated 2011 through 2019, and for the Denver issues of 2015, 2018, 2019, and 2023, what appears to be a doubled lower ear is present.