1974 Lincoln Cent

About This Coin

The 1974 Lincoln Cent is a United States cent from the Lincoln Memorial Cents 1959-2008 series — 16th of 50 years in the series. In 1974, coins were struck at the San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Denver Mints with a combined mintage of 414.7 million. This ranks 40th of 50 years by total mintage, above the series median of 3.7 million. The obverse features Abraham Lincoln facing right and the reverse displays the Lincoln Memorial building in Washington, D.C.. Congress rejected the aluminum cent proposal. Massive production runs continued with rising copper prices threatening the bronze composition. 19 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. Collectors have cataloged 53 known die varieties for this date across 10 categories, including atypical die clash, cud, die chip and 7 other types. Across its variants, estimated values range from $0 to $6 depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $15K in UNC Details grade at eBay. Designed by Victor David Brenner/Frank Gasparro.