1972 Lincoln Cents 1959 to Date MS64RB

History

The Lincoln Memorial reverse arrived in 1959 as the second reverse type used on the cent since the series began in 1909, replacing the wheat-ears design with Frank Gasparro's plan view of the memorial building while Victor David Brenner's obverse portrait carried over unchanged. The 1972 cent sits in the middle of the copper-alloy Memorial era that ran to 1982. A tin shortage prompted a composition change on September 5, 1962, when the earlier 95 percent copper, 5 percent tin and zinc bronze gave way to a 95 percent copper, 5 percent zinc alloy that is technically a brass. Philadelphia production that year is remembered chiefly for the doubled dies that reached circulation.

Details

Brenner designed the obverse and Gasparro the reverse. Each coin weighs 3.11 grams, or 48 grains, measures 19.00 mm across, has a plain edge, and was struck in the 95 percent copper, 5 percent zinc alloy. Philadelphia struck the issue without a mintmark, and reported mintages range from 2,933,225,000 to 2,933,255,000, or roughly 2.933 billion pieces. RB is a color grade rather than a separate coin, applied to mint-state examples that retain part of their original red.

Features

The obverse carries the right-facing Lincoln bust with LIBERTY, the date, and IN GOD WE TRUST. On the reverse, E PLURIBUS UNUM runs above the memorial with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and ONE CENT around the border, and Gasparro's FG initials appear at the lower right of the building. PCGS and NGC divide mint-state copper cents into Brown, Red and Brown, and Red, with Red accounting for most certified Memorial cents and RB covering coins in the intermediate band. Numerous doubled dies were created for the 1972 Philadelphia cent, and at least three carry Fivaz-Stanton numbers, FS-101, FS-102 and FS-103, with FS-101 drawing the strongest premiums.

Notable facts

• Fewer than 100 examples of the plain 1972 cent are known at MS67, and no example has certified above MS67+.
• Circulated and lightly handled 1972 cents remain common enough that MS66 and finer pieces still surface in original rolls and mint sets.
• PCGS catalogs the date under separate numbers by color, 2951 for Brown and 2953 for Red, with the RB listing maintained alongside them.
• Recorded auction prices for FS-101 show how much color affects value on this variety, with $6,900 for an MS67+ in Red against $1,000 for an MS66 in Brown.