What this coin is
The Lincoln memorial cent (copper) is a base metal coin of the United States struck 1959–1982. This page is for the type × composition — every date and mint of this issue has the same metal if the weight and fineness match the spec below. Melt is that metal times today’s spot, not a collector or dealer bid.
What is written on the coin
Read the denomination, the date, and the country name on the coin. People often search the words actually stamped on the piece (for example DOS PESOS or VEINTE PESOS on Mexican gold). Those words are indexed on this site.
Metal content (the melt spec)
Mint specification: 3.1100 grams at 95% fine, which is 0.09499 troy oz of pure copper (ACW). Formula: grams × fineness ÷ 31.1034768. Date and mintmark do not change that number.
Mintage
Mintage varies by date. We do not publish a year-by-year mintage table here because melt is the same for this composition. A scarce date or a high grade can be worth more than melt; a common worn piece is often near melt.
A little history
This type belongs to the 1959–1982 period in the United States. Use the date on the coin to confirm you have this composition, not a later clad or debased issue of the same design.
How to tell you have this type
Match denomination, metal color, and date range. If two compositions share a design (for example 90% vs clad), the date or the edge (solid silver vs copper stripe) decides which page to use.
Date and mintmark do not change the metal on this page. Collector value is a different market — see Sold Comps for sold prices.
Same design, different metal: Lincoln cent (zinc). Use the page that matches what you actually have.
Copper is a base metal. Scrap copper is priced by the pound, not on this gold/silver ticker. The weight here is so you can tell a copper cent from a zinc cent.
