I have been going through some pennies myself and cant wait for the very knowledgeable to chime in about this. From examples that i have seen it can be hard to tell.
This is a wide AM, which was the normal reverse for this year. If you can find a '90 close AM you'll be in business!
The AM is wide through 1992 and close from 1993 forward. Finding a Wide AM for 98, 99, and 00 are very nice. A close 1992 is even better. Those are the errors you are looking for. Good luck!
I am confsed 2010 Redbook shows: 1998-S Close AM and 1999-S Close AM as valuable. So I guess these are exceptions to the rule quoted above because there were proofs involved ? Cheers !
Right, the 98-00 business strikes were supposed to have the close AM but some were struck with proof dies which gave us the wide AM cents which are worth a fair bit The proofs were supposed to have the wide AM, so if any were stamped with the close AM they'd be worth more, though I didn't know any were struck with the business strike die. San Fransisco (S mint) does only proofs (and does all proofs of normal coinage as far as I know)
Yes, a very few proofs were coined with the close AM die....they are extremely rare. http://www.lincolncentresource.com/wideams.html
Maybe Variety Vista will help everyone for which year and what pattern to look for It helps me and shows all the different memorial reverses and which ones are normal and the rare ones to look for http://www.varietyvista.com/Lincoln Cent RDV Changes.htm
Why do you think it's a nice find? It's a normal business strike coin. To answer Sue's question, you should ask one cent for it. That's all it's worth.
Yes a proof coin will have the S mint mark. Prior to 1973 though there are business strike coins from SF.