1924 Lincoln Cents 1909-1958 Genuine - UNC Details (94 - Altered Surf.)

History

Collectors have long ranked the 1924-D near the top of the 1920s Lincoln cents in difficulty, with only the 1922 cents drawing comparable attention. Denver's output that year came to 2,520,000 pieces, a figure well below what the branch mint produced for most dates in the decade, and the coins circulated heavily. The result is a semi-key that is expensive even in worn grades and one of the harder Denver issues to assemble in mint state anywhere in the series.

Details

Victor David Brenner designed both sides of the coin, and the 1924-D follows the standard bronze specification of 95 percent copper with the remaining 5 percent tin and zinc. Each piece weighs 3.11 grams and measures 19.00 millimeters across, with a plain edge. The Denver Mint struck 2,520,000 cents for the date. The BN suffix reflects a brown surface color assigned in grading rather than any difference in how the coins were made.

Features

The obverse carries Brenner's bust of Abraham Lincoln, with IN GOD WE TRUST following the upper periphery, LIBERTY at the left of the portrait, and the date with the D mintmark at the right. On the reverse, two wheat ears flank ONE CENT and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, and E PLURIBUS UNUM arcs across the top perimeter. No separate reverse designer is credited, the same artist having prepared both dies.

Notable facts

• Jaime Hernandez of PCGS calls the 1924-D the most difficult Denver Lincoln cent from 1911 through 1929 to find in MS65 Red or finer.
• Brown and red-brown uncirculated survivors make up the more available portion of the mint state population for this date.
• An MS65 example sold for $19,550 in April 2006.
• The reported mintage covers every 1924-D cent struck, since the BN, RB and RD designations are color grades applied by third-party services long after the coins left the mint.
• Even circulated 1924-D cents command prices well above those of common Lincoln cents from the same decade.