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Lincoln cents: wheat, Memorial, and Shield
Same Lincoln, three backs. Wheat 1909–1958. Memorial 1959–2008. Shield 2010-on. 1943 is steel. Almost all of a coffee can is face value.
Lincoln has been on the cent since 1909. The back changed.
- Wheat (1909–1958). Two wheat ears. These are the brown ones in coffee cans. Indian Head cents are the type before Lincoln.
- Memorial (1959–2008). The Lincoln Memorial. Tiny Lincoln in the middle.
- Shield (2010– ). Union shield. 2009 had four special reverses for the bicentennial.
Metal
Most are copper-plated zinc after 1982. Early ones are bronze. 1943 is steel. A 1943 that does not stick to a magnet is the copper story — rare, faked, and a shop will test. 1943 steel.
What a shop pays
A jar of mixed Lincolns is face, counted, unless you have pulled the dates. Wheat keys. A jar of pennies. 1909-S VDB, 1914-D, 1922 no D, 1931-S, 1955 doubled die — those leave the jar.
Do not clean the brown ones. Don’t clean.
More on the coin and money library.
Copper vs zinc: 1981 penny · 1982 penny (weigh it) · 1983 penny. Wheat copper: wheat cent.