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Lincoln cent, Memorial reverse
The Lincoln Memorial reverse, through two metal changes.
What our records show
- For 1959–2008, the years this site covers for this design, our table has production figures for 29 of 50 years; 21 years are not published in the sources we checked (1966, 1971, 1980–1998).
- Facilities in the record, with the mark their coins carried: Philadelphia: no mint mark (1959–1965, 1967–1970, 1972–1979, 1999–2008); Denver: D (1959–1964), then no mint mark (1965, 1967), then D (1968–1970, 1972–1979, 1999–2008); San Francisco: no mint mark (1964–1965, 1967), then mark not stated in the report (1968–1970, 1972–1974, 1978–1979); West Point: mark not stated in the report (1974–1979).
- What the figures count: coins struck each calendar year, proofs included (the Mint's 1792-1965 pamphlet); coins bearing the date (1964 and 1965); coins struck each calendar year for circulation, proofs counted separately (annual reports); circulating production each calendar year, without proof or uncirculated-set coins (archived Mint production pages).
“The Lincoln penny obverse showed the image of Lincoln designed by Victor David Brenner that is still used today. From 1909 to 1958 the reverse featured two sheaves of wheat. From 1959 to 2008, the reverse was an image of the Lincoln Memorial designed by Frank Gasparro to commemorate Lincoln’s 150th birthday.”
“Tin was eliminated from the bronze alloy by act of Sept. 5, 1962.”
“In FY 82 the new copper-plated zinc (CPZ) cent was phased in with the bronze one-cent piece.”
Metal, weight and size, where a Mint table dates it
| Coin years | Specification and source |
|---|---|
| 1959–1961 | Metal: bronze: 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc · Weight: 3.11 g (our conversion from the Mint's standard weight of 48 grains) Source: U.S. Mint, Domestic and Foreign Coins Manufactured by Mints of the United States, 1792-1965, PDF p. 13 (printed p. 9), table C6: 48 grains; "95 copper and 5 zinc and tin or 5 zinc". Covers the standard weight and composition in the Mint's minor-coinage table, which lists coinage to Dec. 31, 1965 (pamphlet table C6). |
| 1962 | Metal: bronze; tin was taken out of the alloy by the act of Sept. 5, 1962, so 1962 cents may be 95% copper with 5% tin and zinc, or 95% copper and 5% zinc · Weight: 3.11 g (our conversion from the Mint's standard weight of 48 grains) Source: U.S. Mint, Domestic and Foreign Coins Manufactured by Mints of the United States, 1792-1965, PDF p. 13 (printed p. 9), table C6 and footnote 9: 48 grains. Covers the standard weight and composition in the Mint's minor-coinage table, which lists coinage to Dec. 31, 1965 (pamphlet table C6). |
| 1963 | Metal: 95% copper, 5% zinc · Weight: 3.11 g (our conversion from the Mint's standard weight of 48 grains) Source: U.S. Mint, Domestic and Foreign Coins Manufactured by Mints of the United States, 1792-1965, PDF p. 13 (printed p. 9), table C6 and footnote 9: 48 grains. Covers the standard weight and composition in the Mint's minor-coinage table, which lists coinage to Dec. 31, 1965 (pamphlet table C6). |
| 1964 | Metal: 95% copper, 5% zinc · Weight: 3.11 g · Diameter: 19.05 mm Source: Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, fiscal 1965, PDF p. 50, Table 14 (coins manufactured during calendar year 1964 and fiscal year 1965): 3.11 g, .750 in. Covers coins manufactured during calendar year 1964 (fiscal 1965 annual report, Table 14). |
| 1965–1967 | No specification dated to these years in the sources we checked. |
| 1968–1970 | Metal: 95% copper, 5% zinc · Weight: 3.11 g · Diameter: 19.05 mm Sources: Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, fiscal 1968, PDF p. 62 (printed p. 53), Table 1B; Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, fiscal 1969, PDF p. 34 (printed p. 23), Table 1B; Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, fiscal 1970, PDF p. 36 (printed p. 22), Table 5; Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, fiscal 1971, PDF p. 254 (printed p. 242), Table LVII. Covers the coins each annual report lists as currently manufactured in its fiscal year (from fiscal 1977, October to September; before that, July to June). We match each report to the coin year of the same number; the fiscal 1971 report's table is for coins made in calendar 1970. |
| 1971–1972 | No specification dated to these years in the sources we checked. |
| 1973–1980 | Metal: 95% copper, 5% zinc · Weight: 3.11 g · Diameter: 19.05 mm Sources: Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, fiscal 1973, PDF p. 66 (printed p. 54), Table 4; Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, fiscal 1974, PDF p. 84 (printed p. 72), Table 4; Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, fiscal 1975, PDF p. 79 (printed p. 67), Table 4; Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, fiscal 1976, PDF p. 70 (printed p. 58), Table 5; Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, fiscal 1977, PDF p. 59 (printed p. 47), Table 4; Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, fiscal 1978, PDF p. 59 (printed p. 47), Table 4; Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, fiscal 1979, PDF p. 55 (printed p. 43), Table 4; Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, fiscal 1980, PDF p. 40 (printed p. 28), Table 4. Covers the coins each annual report lists as currently manufactured in its fiscal year (from fiscal 1977, October to September; before that, July to June). We match each report to the coin year of the same number; the fiscal 1971 report's table is for coins made in calendar 1970. |
| 1981 | No specification dated to these years in the sources we checked. |
| 1982 | Metal: two kinds: bronze (95% copper, 5% zinc, 3.11 g) and copper-plated zinc (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper, 2.50 g); diameter unchanged Source: Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, fiscal 1982, PDF p. 10. Covers the cent change the fiscal 1982 annual report describes. |
| 1983–2008 | No specification dated to these years in the sources we checked. |
Each row covers only the coin years its source establishes. Proof and collector versions can differ and aren't covered.
Current Mint specification (undated; applicability to earlier years not established)
Metal: copper-plated zinc (2.5% copper, balance zinc) · Weight: 2.5 g · Diameter: 19.05 mm
Source: U.S. Mint, Coin Specifications page (archived October 9, 2024; the page says its content was last updated April 28, 2022). The page doesn't say which years' coins it describes.
How many were made
| Year | Philadelphia no mint mark | Denver | San Francisco | West Point mark not stated in the report | What the figure counts, and notes | Source (see list below) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | 610,864,291 | 1,279,760,000 D | none in this row's coverage | none in this row's coverage | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) – : the Mint's coinage record shows none struck at that facility that year. | 1, 2 |
| 1960 | 588,096,602 | 1,580,884,000 D | none in this row's coverage | none in this row's coverage | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) – : the Mint's coinage record shows none struck at that facility that year. | 1, 2 |
| 1961 | 756,373,244 | 1,753,266,700 D | none in this row's coverage | none in this row's coverage | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) – : the Mint's coinage record shows none struck at that facility that year. | 1, 2 |
| 1962 | 609,263,019 | 1,793,148,400 D | none in this row's coverage | none in this row's coverage | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) “Tin was eliminated from the bronze alloy by act of Sept. 5, 1962.” (Mint report) – : the Mint's coinage record shows none struck at that facility that year. | 1, 2 |
| 1963 | 757,185,645 | 1,774,020,400 D | none in this row's coverage | none in this row's coverage | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) – : the Mint's coinage record shows none struck at that facility that year. | 1, 2 |
| 1964 | 2,455,895,762 | 3,799,071,500 D | 196,630,000 no mint mark | none in this row's coverage | coins bearing this date Counts coins bearing the date 1964, struck from January 1964 into 1966. “Coins bearing the 1964 date were manufactured from Jan. 1964 through Apr. 1966, inclusive.” (Mint report) Philadelphia's figure includes 3,950,762 proof coins. – : the Mint's record of coins bearing this date shows none from that facility. | 3 |
| 1965 | 301,470,000 | 973,364,900 no mint mark | 222,390,000 no mint mark | none in this row's coverage | coins bearing this date Counts coins bearing the date 1965. “Coins bearing the 1965 date were manufactured from Aug. 1965 through July 1966, inclusive. Beginning on Aug. 1, 1966, the first coins to bear the date "1966" will be manufactured.” (Mint report) San Francisco's figure includes special mint set coins. – : the Mint's record of coins bearing this date shows none from that facility. | 4 |
| 1966 | Not published in the sources we checked. No calendar-year or dated table for 1966 in the reports we could download. | |||||
| 1967 | 907,575,000 | 1,327,377,100 no mint mark | 813,715,000 no mint mark | none in this row's coverage | struck that calendar year for circulation – : none from that facility in the report's general-circulation table. Proof and collector coins aren't in that table, so a dash doesn't mean the facility made no coins. | 5 |
| 1968 | 1,707,880,970 | 2,886,269,600 D | 258,270,001 mark not stated in the report | none in this row's coverage | struck that calendar year for circulation – : none from that facility in the report's general-circulation table. Proof and collector coins aren't in that table, so a dash doesn't mean the facility made no coins. | 6 |
| 1969 | 1,136,910,000 | 4,002,832,200 D | 544,375,000 mark not stated in the report | none in this row's coverage | struck that calendar year for circulation – : none from that facility in the report's general-circulation table. Proof and collector coins aren't in that table, so a dash doesn't mean the facility made no coins. | 7 |
| 1970 | 1,898,315,000 | 2,891,438,900 D | 690,560,004 mark not stated in the report | none in this row's coverage | struck that calendar year for circulation – : none from that facility in the report's general-circulation table. Proof and collector coins aren't in that table, so a dash doesn't mean the facility made no coins. | 8 |
| 1971 | Not published in the sources we checked. The fiscal 1972 report, which would hold the 1971 calendar-year table, is not in the FRASER files we could download. | |||||
| 1972 | 2,933,255,000 | 2,665,071,400 D | 380,200,104 mark not stated in the report | none in this row's coverage | struck that calendar year for circulation – : none from that facility in the report's general-circulation table. Proof and collector coins aren't in that table, so a dash doesn't mean the facility made no coins. | 9 |
| 1973 | 3,728,245,000 | 3,549,576,588 D | 319,937,634 mark not stated in the report | none in this row's coverage | struck that calendar year for circulation – : none from that facility in the report's general-circulation table. Proof and collector coins aren't in that table, so a dash doesn't mean the facility made no coins. | 10 |
| 1974 | 4,103,183,000 | 4,235,098,000 D | 412,039,228 mark not stated in the report | 128,957,523 | struck that calendar year for circulation | 11 |
| 1975 | 3,874,182,000 | 4,505,275,300 D | none in this row's coverage | 1,577,294,142 | struck that calendar year for circulation – : none from that facility in the report's general-circulation table. Proof and collector coins aren't in that table, so a dash doesn't mean the facility made no coins. | 12 |
| 1976 | 3,133,580,000 | 4,221,592,455 D | none in this row's coverage | 1,540,695,000 | struck that calendar year for circulation – : none from that facility in the report's general-circulation table. Proof and collector coins aren't in that table, so a dash doesn't mean the facility made no coins. | 13 |
| 1977 | 3,074,575,000 | 4,149,062,300 D | none in this row's coverage | 1,395,355,000 | struck that calendar year for circulation – : none from that facility in the report's general-circulation table. Proof and collector coins aren't in that table, so a dash doesn't mean the facility made no coins. | 14 |
| 1978 | 3,735,655,000 | 4,280,233,400 D | 291,700,000 mark not stated in the report | 1,531,250,000 | struck that calendar year for circulation | 15 |
| 1979 | 3,560,940,000 | 4,139,357,254 D | 751,725,000 mark not stated in the report | 1,705,850,000 | struck that calendar year for circulation | 16 |
| 1980–1998 | Not published in the sources we checked. No calendar-year or dated counts in the sources we checked. The annual reports we could read for fiscal 1982 to 1988, 1990 and 1992 count coins manufactured by fiscal year, not by calendar year or date, so their figures can't be matched to the date on a coin; the text of the fiscal 1997 and 1999 reports has no calendar-year coin table either. The other reports for these years were image-only scans we didn't transcribe, or failed to download. | |||||
| 1999 | 5,237,600,000 | 6,360,065,000 D | none in this row's coverage | none in this row's coverage | circulating production that calendar year – : the Mint's production pages cover circulating coins from Denver and Philadelphia only; proof and collector coins made elsewhere aren't shown. | 17 |
| 2000 | 5,503,200,000 | 8,774,220,000 D | none in this row's coverage | none in this row's coverage | circulating production that calendar year – : the Mint's production pages cover circulating coins from Denver and Philadelphia only; proof and collector coins made elsewhere aren't shown. | 18 |
| 2001 | 4,959,600,000 | 5,374,990,000 D | none in this row's coverage | none in this row's coverage | circulating production that calendar year – : the Mint's production pages cover circulating coins from Denver and Philadelphia only; proof and collector coins made elsewhere aren't shown. | 19 |
| 2002 | 3,260,800,000 | 4,028,055,000 D | none in this row's coverage | none in this row's coverage | circulating production that calendar year – : the Mint's production pages cover circulating coins from Denver and Philadelphia only; proof and collector coins made elsewhere aren't shown. | 20 |
| 2003 | 3,300,000,000 | 3,548,000,000 D | none in this row's coverage | none in this row's coverage | circulating production that calendar year – : the Mint's production pages cover circulating coins from Denver and Philadelphia only; proof and collector coins made elsewhere aren't shown. | 21 |
| 2004 | 3,379,600,000 | 3,456,400,000 D | none in this row's coverage | none in this row's coverage | circulating production that calendar year – : the Mint's production pages cover circulating coins from Denver and Philadelphia only; proof and collector coins made elsewhere aren't shown. | 22 |
| 2005 | 3,935.60 million | 3,764.45 million D | none in this row's coverage | none in this row's coverage | circulating production that calendar year – : the Mint's production pages cover circulating coins from Denver and Philadelphia only; proof and collector coins made elsewhere aren't shown. | 23 |
| 2006 | 4,290.00 million | 3,944.00 million D | none in this row's coverage | none in this row's coverage | circulating production that calendar year – : the Mint's production pages cover circulating coins from Denver and Philadelphia only; proof and collector coins made elsewhere aren't shown. | 24 |
| 2007 | 3,762.40 million | 3,638.80 million D | none in this row's coverage | none in this row's coverage | circulating production that calendar year – : the Mint's production pages cover circulating coins from Denver and Philadelphia only; proof and collector coins made elsewhere aren't shown. | 25 |
| 2008 | 2,569.60 million | 2,849.60 million D | none in this row's coverage | none in this row's coverage | circulating production that calendar year – : the Mint's production pages cover circulating coins from Denver and Philadelphia only; proof and collector coins made elsewhere aren't shown. | 26 |
- Mint pamphlet 1792-1965, PDF pp. 48 and 50 (printed pp. 44 and 46), table C21
- Mint pamphlet 1792-1965, PDF p. 56 (printed p. 52), table C29
- Mint annual report, FRASER file 1967, PDF p. 145 (printed p. 135), table C50
- Mint annual report, FRASER file 1967, PDF p. 151, table C56
- Mint annual report, fiscal 1968, PDF p. 75, U.S. coins manufactured, calendar year 1967
- Mint annual report, fiscal 1969, PDF p. 48, U.S. coins manufactured, calendar year 1968
- Mint annual report, fiscal 1970, PDF p. 56, U.S. coins manufactured, calendar year 1969
- Mint annual report, fiscal 1971, PDF p. 50, U.S. coins manufactured, calendar year 1970
- Mint annual report, fiscal 1973, PDF p. 87, U.S. coins manufactured, calendar year 1972
- Mint annual report, fiscal 1974, PDF p. 108, U.S. coins manufactured, calendar year 1973
- Mint annual report, fiscal 1975, PDF p. 104, U.S. coins manufactured, calendar year 1974
- Mint annual report, fiscal 1976, PDF p. 107, U.S. coins manufactured, calendar year 1975
- Mint annual report, fiscal 1977, PDF p. 87, U.S. coins manufactured, calendar year 1976
- Mint annual report, fiscal 1978, PDF p. 87, U.S. coins manufactured, calendar year 1977
- Mint annual report, fiscal 1979, PDF p. 83, U.S. coins manufactured, calendar year 1978
- Mint annual report, fiscal 1980, PDF p. 68, U.S. coins manufactured, calendar year 1979
- Mint production page, 1999 (archived), January 1999 through December 1999
- Mint production page, 2000 (archived), January 2000 through December 2000
- Mint production page, 2001 (archived), January 2001 through December 2001
- Mint production page, 2002 (archived), January 2002 through December 2002
- Mint production page, 2003 (archived), January 2003 through December 2003
- Mint production page, 2004 (archived), January 2004 through December 2004
- Mint production page, 2005 (archived), January 2005 through December 2005
- Mint production page, 2006 (archived), January 2006 through December 2006
- Mint production page, 2007 (archived), January 2007 through December 2007
- Mint production page, 2008 (archived), January 2008 through December 2008
Where the mint mark is
“So, no mint marks appeared on circulating coins from 1965 to 1967.” (U.S. Mint) (This applies to the standard circulating coins dated 1965 to 1967.)
The Mint pages we used give no location for the cent's mint mark. The Mint's mint-mark page says only: “The mark can be on the obverse or reverse side, depending on how it fits into the design.” (U.S. Mint)
Sources
- Domestic and Foreign Coins Manufactured by Mints of the United States, 1792-1965. Bureau of the Mint, U.S. Treasury Department (Eva Adams, Director), hosted by FRASER, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
- Annual Report of the Director of the Mint (FRASER file usmint_1967_annual-report.pdf). Bureau of the Mint, hosted by FRASER, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
- Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, fiscal year ended June 30, 1968. Bureau of the Mint, hosted by FRASER, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
- Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, fiscal year ended June 30, 1969. Bureau of the Mint, hosted by FRASER, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
- Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, fiscal year ended June 30, 1970. Bureau of the Mint, hosted by FRASER, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
- Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, fiscal year ended June 30, 1971. Bureau of the Mint, hosted by FRASER, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
- Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, fiscal year ended June 30, 1973. Bureau of the Mint, hosted by FRASER, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
- Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, fiscal year ended June 30, 1974. Bureau of the Mint, hosted by FRASER, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
- Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, fiscal year ended June 30, 1975. Bureau of the Mint, hosted by FRASER, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
- Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, fiscal year ended June 30, 1976 and transition quarter. Bureau of the Mint, hosted by FRASER, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
- Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, fiscal year ended September 30, 1977. Bureau of the Mint, hosted by FRASER, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
- Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, fiscal year ended September 30, 1978. Bureau of the Mint, hosted by FRASER, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
- Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, fiscal year ended September 30, 1979. Bureau of the Mint, hosted by FRASER, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
- Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, fiscal year ended September 30, 1980. Bureau of the Mint, hosted by FRASER, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
- Coin Production Figures (U.S. Mint, 1999-2012 site). United States Mint (archived copy).
- Penny (U.S. Mint, Circulating Coins). United States Mint (archived copy).
- Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, fiscal year ended September 30, 1982. U.S. Mint, hosted by FRASER, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
- Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, fiscal year ended June 30, 1965. Bureau of the Mint, hosted by FRASER, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
- Coin Specifications (U.S. Mint). United States Mint (archived copy).
Figures and quotes checked against their sources on October 12, 2026.