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Lincoln cent, wheat reverse
Lincoln's portrait with two wheat ears on the back, through both wartime metal changes.
What our records show
- For 1909–1958, the years this site covers for this design, our table has production figures for 50 of 50 years.
- Facilities in the record, with the mark their coins carried: Philadelphia: no mint mark (1909–1921, 1923–1958); Denver: D (1911–1920, 1922, 1924–1958); San Francisco: S (1909–1921, 1923–1931, 1935–1955).
- What the figures count: coins struck each calendar year, proofs included (the Mint's 1792-1965 pamphlet).
- 1909: the Mint's figure covers more than one design. Those rows are shaded.
“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.”
“Steel covered with zinc coating not to exceed .001 inch”
“Alloy of 95% copper and 5% zinc coined 1944-46 by order of Secretary of the Treasury of Dec. 16, 1943, pursuant to act of Dec. 18, 1942.”
“In 1943, pennies were made of zinc-coated steel because copper was needed during World War II. At the beginning of 1943, however, a limited number of copper pennies were struck by mistake.”
Metal, weight and size, where a Mint table dates it
| Coin years | Specification and source |
|---|---|
| 1909–1942 | 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). |
| 1943 | Metal: steel covered with zinc coating not to exceed .001 inch · Weight: standard weight 41.5 grains (order of Dec. 23, 1942); 42.5 grains (order of May 15, 1943) 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. Covers the standard weight and composition in the Mint's minor-coinage table, which lists coinage to Dec. 31, 1965 (pamphlet table C6). |
| 1944–1946 | 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 8: 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). |
| 1947–1958 | 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). |
Each row covers only the coin years its source establishes. Proof and collector versions can differ and aren't covered.
How many were made
| Year | Philadelphia no mint mark | Denver D | San Francisco S | What the figure counts, and notes | Source (see list below) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1909 | 115,068,263 | none in this row's coverage | 2,618,000 | All cent designs of 1909 combined; a figure for this design alone isn't available here. struck that calendar year (includes proofs) – : the Mint's coinage record shows none struck at that facility that year. | 1, 2 |
| 1910 | 146,801,218 | none in this row's coverage | 6,045,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) – : the Mint's coinage record shows none struck at that facility that year. | 1, 2 |
| 1911 | 101,177,787 | 12,672,000 | 4,026,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1912 | 68,153,060 | 10,411,000 | 4,431,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1913 | 76,532,352 | 15,804,000 | 6,101,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1914 | 75,238,432 | 1,193,000 | 4,137,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1915 | 29,092,120 | 22,050,000 | 4,833,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1916 | 131,833,677 | 35,956,000 | 22,510,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1917 | 196,429,785 | 55,120,000 | 32,620,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1918 | 288,104,634 | 47,830,000 | 34,680,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1919 | 392,021,000 | 57,154,000 | 139,760,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1920 | 310,165,000 | 49,280,000 | 46,220,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1921 | 39,157,000 | none in this row's coverage | 15,274,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) – : the Mint's coinage record shows none struck at that facility that year. | 1, 2 |
| 1922 | none in this row's coverage | 7,160,000 | 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. | 3 |
| 1923 | 74,723,000 | none in this row's coverage | 8,700,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) – : the Mint's coinage record shows none struck at that facility that year. | 1, 2 |
| 1924 | 75,178,000 | 2,520,000 | 11,696,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1925 | 139,949,000 | 22,580,000 | 26,380,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1926 | 157,088,000 | 28,020,000 | 4,550,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1927 | 144,440,000 | 27,170,000 | 14,276,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1928 | 134,116,000 | 31,170,000 | 17,266,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1929 | 185,262,000 | 41,730,000 | 50,148,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1930 | 157,415,000 | 40,100,000 | 24,286,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1931 | 19,396,000 | 4,480,000 | 866,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1932 | 9,062,000 | 10,500,000 | 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, 3 |
| 1933 | 14,360,000 | 6,200,000 | 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, 3 |
| 1934 | 219,080,000 | 28,446,000 | 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, 3 |
| 1935 | 245,388,000 | 47,000,000 | 38,702,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1936 | 309,637,569 | 40,620,000 | 29,130,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1937 | 309,179,320 | 50,430,000 | 34,500,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1938 | 156,696,734 | 20,010,000 | 15,180,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1939 | 316,479,520 | 15,160,000 | 52,070,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1940 | 586,825,872 | 81,390,000 | 112,940,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1941 | 887,039,100 | 128,700,000 | 92,360,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1942 | 657,828,600 | 206,698,000 | 85,590,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1943 | 684,628,670 | 217,660,000 | 191,550,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) The pamphlet's steel-cent total (1,093,838,670) equals its reported 1943 cent total. The cited sources don't establish whether the copper cents the Mint says were struck by mistake are included: “In 1943, pennies were made of zinc-coated steel because copper was needed during World War II. At the beginning of 1943, however, a limited number of copper pennies were struck by mistake.” (U.S. Mint) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1944 | 1,435,400,000 | 430,578,000 | 282,760,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1945 | 1,040,515,000 | 226,268,000 | 181,770,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1946 | 991,655,000 | 315,690,000 | 198,100,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1947 | 190,555,000 | 194,750,000 | 99,000,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1948 | 317,570,000 | 172,637,500 | 81,735,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1949 | 217,775,000 | 153,132,500 | 64,290,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1950 | 272,686,386 | 334,950,000 | 118,505,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1951 | 284,633,500 | 625,355,000 | 136,010,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1952 | 186,856,980 | 746,130,000 | 137,800,004 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1953 | 256,883,800 | 700,515,000 | 181,835,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1954 | 71,873,350 | 251,552,500 | 96,190,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1955 | 330,958,200 | 563,257,500 | 44,610,000 | struck that calendar year (includes proofs) | 1, 3, 2 |
| 1956 | 421,414,384 | 1,098,201,100 | 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, 3 |
| 1957 | 283,787,952 | 1,051,342,000 | 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, 3 |
| 1958 | 253,400,652 | 800,953,300 | 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, 3 |
- Mint pamphlet 1792-1965, PDF pp. 48 and 50 (printed pp. 44 and 46), table C21
- Mint pamphlet 1792-1965, PDF p. 63 (printed p. 59), table C35
- Mint pamphlet 1792-1965, PDF p. 56 (printed p. 52), table C29
Where the mint mark is
The Mint pages we used don't say where this design carries its mint mark, so we don't give a location.
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.
- Penny (U.S. Mint, Circulating Coins). United States Mint (archived copy).
Figures and quotes checked against their sources on October 12, 2026.