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US Coin - 1998 - Lincoln Cent - Philadelphia
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Common NameCent
DenominationCent
Year1998
MintPhiladelphia
SeriesLincoln Cent
VariationMemorial
MaterialZinc
Mintage5,032,200,000
Diameter (mm)0.0
EdgeSmooth
US Coin - 1998 - Lincoln Cent - Philadelphia



Notes: The US Mint produced two major varieties of the 1998 Lincoln Memorial Cent (Penny). The most common variety for the Philadelphia-minted 1998 is the close "AM" variety. Although the one shown above is the rarer wide "AM" variety for this year and mint.

In the word "AMERICA" on the reverse of the coin: The close "AM" meant that the letters "A" and "M" were very close and almost touching while the wide "AM" had the two letters separated much more. In Addition: The initials "FG" was closer to the Lincoln Memorial Building on the wide "AM" variety and it was further away on the close "AM" variety. The difference between the close "AM" and wide "AM" varieties are shown in the example image below. Click the image to enlarge:
Varieties: close AM and wide AM
Designer: Victor David Brenner
History: The Lincoln cent or Lincoln penny is a cent coin (or penny) (1/100 of a dollar) that has been struck by the United States Mint since 1909. The obverse or heads side was designed by Victor David Brenner, as was the original reverse. The coin has seen several reverse, or tails, designs and now bears one by Lyndall Bass depicting a Union shield.

In 1905, sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens was hired by the Mint to redesign the cent and the four gold coins, which did not require congressional approval. Two of Saint-Gaudens's proposed designs for the cent were eventually adapted for the gold pieces, but Saint-Gaudens died in August 1907 before submitting additional designs for the cent. In January 1909, the Mint engaged Brenner to design a cent depicting the late president, Abraham Lincoln, 1909 being the centennial year of his birth. Brenner's design was eventually approved, and the new coins were issued to great public interest on August 2, 1909.

Brenner's initials (VDB), on the reverse at its base, were deemed too prominent once the coins were issued, and were removed within days of the release. The initials were restored, this time smaller, on Lincoln's shoulder, in 1918. Brenner's reverse was replaced in 1959 by a depiction of the Lincoln Memorial designed by Frank Gasparro, for the sesquicentennial of his birth year. The Lincoln Memorial reverse was itself replaced in 2009 by commemorative designs marking the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth. Beginning in 2010, Bass's shield design was coined. Originally struck in 95 percent copper, the penny coin was changed for one year to steel in 1943 as copper was needed to aid in the war effort. The mint then reverted to 95 percent copper until 1982, when inflation made copper too expensive and the composition was changed to zinc with an outer copper layer.
Item created by: Lethe on 2015-05-31 17:46:30. Last edited by gdm on 2018-01-09 11:02:13

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