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1961 Proof


1961 Business strikes


The wheat reverse often showed a weak O in ONE CENT. The O was opposite the shoulder on the front which kept the O from receiving enough metal to completely fill the die. The memorial cents often show weak steps. This area is directly opposite the cheekbone. This example also has weakness opposite the top of Lincoln's coat.

 

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1923 Lincoln Cent (PCGS MS64BN). The combination of green and gloss is hard to beat. Maybe a borderline 65?

 

I'd have gone 64+ for it on eye appeal, but PCGS doesn't seem to think anything but Red is appealing on Lincolns.

Yes, borderline 65. The reverse lettering is a bit "busy" with very small but numerous ticks when you look closely and I'm seeing similar in the obverse fields, especially left of the bust. Seen worse in 65 slabs, though.

None of that would stop me from buying the coin instantly if I had the chance.

 

1962 Proof


1962 Business strikes

 

1909 with a full rim. Another recent find.

 

1963 Proof


1963 Business strikes

 

Found this 1910 in an old Whitman folder.

 

The 1964 proof marks the end of the post-war proofs made from 1950-1964. The production of proof coins was suspended from 1965 through 1967 as the mint tried to overcome a coin shortage.

The production of almost 4 million 1964 proofs was huge compared to the 51,386 from 1950.

This marks the end of Philadelphia proof production. When production restarted in 1968, the new proofs would be minted in San Francisco.

1964 Proof


1964 Business strikes

 

In 1965 the mint was still trying to catch up with demand. They eliminated mint marks entirely and produced Special Mint Sets instead of proofs. 2,360,000 Special Mint Set Lincolns were produced out of 1.5 billion cents overall.

This SMS is well struck with full steps, although it lacks the lustrous mirror surface of a true proof. The details in the steps and façade of the Lincoln Memorial are clearly sharper on the SMS than on the business strike.

1965 SMS


1965 Business strike

 

Picked this up for next to nothing.

 

Newps:

 

The difference between a Special Mint Strike and a business strike can be dramatic. This SMS has sharp detail and full steps, but doesn't quite have the mirror surfaces of a proof. There is a small band of toning across the bottom of the reverse, probably from its packaging.

It is far better than an uncirculated business strike, which can be pretty dinged up and spotty. This one looks better in hand, but the camera reveals every blemish.

1966 SMS


1966 Business strike

 

So you were the person that just got these new monsters graded! Saw them in coinfacts a few days ago. Stunning!

 

Thanks! I've been very lucky with the 11-D's. This is my second time upgrading. Coincidentally, as I was waiting for my Trueview to show up I actually saw my old one on coinfacts about a week earlier. It was in a string of really nice 65 BN's and I was saying to myself, wow those are really nice, and there's my old one! It's fun to see the new coins come in. Here's the other two 11-D's. (the first one is the one that just came back through coinfacts that I sold about a year ago)

 

Man...that 12D! NICE!

 

The three special mint sets from 1965-1967 were produced at the San Francisco mint, even though they do not bear a mint mark. All three of the SMS Lincolns are well struck.

The planchets were not polished before striking, as they would have been for proofs. This close up from the 1965 and 1966 SMS's show how roughness in the planchet can be seen below the Memorial. It was not completely smoothed out during striking. The 1966, at right, has roughness visible right up through the steps. The 1967 SMS below does not show that kind of issue.



1967 SMS


1967 Business strike

 

In 1968 Proof coin production resumed. Although San Francisco had produced Special Mint Sets for three years, they had no mint marks. The S mint mark had not appeared on a Lincoln cent since 1955. In 1968 it came back.

San Francisco produced 258,270,001 business strikes (what did they do with the extra penny?), and around 3 million proof cents. You could get the proof set for $5, and it is still widely available for under $10.

By 1968 all detail was gone from Lincoln's beard. All of these coins are quite smooth, in contrast to the sharp sculpting found in the early years of the series. This is the last year of that deterioration - the dies were due for retooling.

1968 Proof


1968 Business strikes

 

RD 1992 d C am wish that damage wasn't there