Lincoln Cents: Value Trends Over 15 Years
A lot of people want to know how the values of certain coins have increased over the years.
Historic pricing information can be equally exciting and frustrating ("I should have bought that coin years ago!" some may grumble to themselves).
It is always educational and informational to compare price charts of today to those of years ago.
See how Lincoln cents values have fared from 1994 to 2009.
15 Years Of Lincoln Cents
This piece is not intended to provide any investment advice to you (and is purely for entertainment and educational purposes).
But you may find it interesting how prices have increased over the past 15 years for certain Lincoln cents.
You will be able to gain more insight on overall, long-term market conditions. Investing in coins can be a highly risky endeavor, and no guide can predict the investment future of any coin.
Lincoln Penny Values: 1994 vs 2009
Price information is derived from the 1994 and 2009 editions of A Guide Book of United States Coins, popularly called "The Red Book".
This price guide has been a popular, annual publication by R.S. Yeoman and Kenneth Bressett -- long revered by all types of coin collectors.
- 1909 V.D.B. $2-25 in Good to Mint-State 63 (1994 edition)
- 1909 V.D.B. $12-28 in Good to Mint-State 63 (2009 edition)
- 1909-S V.D.B. $290-600 in Good to Mint-State 63 (1994 edition)
- 1909-S V.D.B. $750-2,300 in Good to Mint-State 63 (2009 edition)
- 1909-S $35-200 in Good to Mint-State 63 (1994 edition)
- 1909-S $100-375 in Good to Mint-State 63 (2009 edition)
- 1911-S $16-225 in Good to Mint-State 63 (1994 edition)
- 1911-S $25-275 in Good to Mint-State 63 (2009 edition)
- 1914-D $80-1,200 in Good to Mint-State 63 (1994 edition)
- 1914-D $215-3,500 in Good to Mint-State 63 (2009 edition)
- 1914-S $9-375 in Good to Mint-State 63 (1994 edition)
- 1914-S $20-550 in Good to Mint-State 63 (2009 edition)
- 1922-D $4.75-125 in Good to Mint-State 63 (1994 edition)
- 1922-D $14-160 in Good to Mint State 63 (2009 edition)
- 1922 Plain (no mintmark) $150-8,000 in Good to Mint-State 63 (1994 edition)
- 1922 Plain (no mintmark) $600-30,000 in Good to Mint-State 63 (2009 edition)
- 1924-D $10-350 in Good to Mint-State 63 (1994 edition)
- 1924-D $25-425 in Good to Mint-State 63 (2009 edition)
- 1931-S $32-95 in Good to Mint-State 63 (1994 edition)
- 1931-S $80-175 in Good to Mint-State 63 (2009 edition)
- 1955 Doubled Die $375-3,500 in Very Fine to Mint-State 65 (1994 edition)
- 1955 Doubled Die $1,200-12,500 in Very Fine to Mint State 65 (2009 edition)
- 1972 Doubled Die Obverse $250 in Mint-State 65 (1994 edition)
- 1972 Doubled Die Obverse $700 in Mint-State 65 (2009 edition)
- 1983 Doubled Die Reverse $200 in Mint-State 65 (1994 edition)
- 1983 Doubled Die Reverse $300 in Mint-State 65 (2009 edition)
- 1993-D 10 cents in Mint-State 65 (1994 edition)
- 1993-D 25 cents in Mint-State 65 (2009 edition)
Lincoln Cents Prices Increase
All of these coins saw price increases. Many of the dates actually saw a proportionately larger average price increase for circulated grades than for uncirculated grades during the 15-year time span.
There are many reasons this could be. One likely theory is that many more people are able to afford circulated collections of Lincoln cents than are those who can assemble uncirculated versions.
So therefore, there would be more demand for the lower-grade coins. Yet, for many dates of Lincoln cents during the early- to mid-20th century, nice uncirculated specimens are indeed very scarce.
What's The Future For Lincoln Cents?
Without a doubt, time has been good from the investment standpoint of those who bought Lincoln cents years ago. Such has been the trend now for decades.
Scarce and rare dates of Lincoln cents have historically performed very well. The question really is, how will they do in the future?
Bicentennial Lincoln Cents
The 2009 Bicentennial Lincoln cents will certainly spark interest in the series. Lincoln cents already are known as one of the most popular coins to collect.
That has been the case for many decades. A new reverse design in 2010 will make the current Memorial reverse an obsolete design.
But many hundreds of millions of Memorial reverse cents will likely remain in circulation for a number of years to come.
When the penny almost inevitably does meet its end at some point down the road, this will also create more interest in the Lincoln cents series.
More Information About Lincoln Cents:
I have a 1956 wheat penny that is the color of a dime and I cannot find any info about it. Can someone help. Also I have a coin that I do not know what it is, it is the color of a penny, the date on it is 1903, the image on it is an eagle, wings spread standing on a sheild, but there is nothing on the back of it. Thanks so much.