The Last Great "S" Mint Lincoln Cent...

OneCent

Well, Lincoln Lovers and copper afficiando's across the land...which one is it? (Mint State, Business Strikes, No Varieties)

I vote 1936-S after which the magical "S" mint loses it's mystique for all subsequent issues.

What say you?

DaveG

Hey - what about the "last" S-mint Lincoln?

The 1955-S!

The last S-mint Wheat cent made for circulation - the coin we all chased as kids!

savoyspecial

would the 1990 proof with no S count as a 'Great S-Mint cent'??


greg

OneCent

<< <i>Hey - what about the "last" S-mint Lincoln?

The 1955-S!

The last S-mint Wheat cent made for circulation - the coin we all chased as kids! >>



Good point! Added to poll for nostalgic reasons!

ahooka454

55-s.

seanq

<< <i>Hey - what about the "last" S-mint Lincoln?

The 1955-S!

The last S-mint Wheat cent made for circulation - the coin we all chased as kids! >>



That would be the 1974-S, wouldn't it? Not that I would nominate it in this poll, but it was struck for circulation.


Sean Reynolds

savoyspecial

that 1969-S double die has been getting some press of late as well

greg

OneCent

<< <i>that 1969-S double die has been getting some press of late as well

greg >>



Edited OP to exclude varieties.

If Varieties were included, no doubt the 1969-S DDO would be high-up on the list.

DMWJR

I would hardly say the 26-s is the last great "s" mint, since it is not great, but merely the poorest quality red "s" mint before and aft. There are many great quality "s" mint Lincolns in mint state up through the last wheat.

notwilight

<< <i>Hey - what about the "last" S-mint Lincoln? The 1955-S! The last S-mint Wheat cent made for circulation - the coin we all chased as kids! >>



Exactly. The others weren't even on my radar back then. --Jerry

CaptHenway

<< <i>that 1969-S double die has been getting some press of late as well

greg >>



That was my first thought, though the 1970-S Small Date might squeek in.
TD

ArizonaJack

I put 26-S because it's the greatest challange.......

LincolnsRule

Uhm... clearly 74-s. It's great just because it really is the last. These were so hard to find on the eastcoast when I was a kid.

seanq

<< <i>Uhm... clearly 74-s. It's great just because it really is the last. These were so hard to find on the eastcoast when I was a kid. >>



Try finding one off-center.... or with a clip. The '74-S and especially the '73-S were among the last copper memorial cents I added to my date set. Darn that S.F. Mint and their high quality standards.


Sean Reynolds

perfectstrike

The 1973S. Nearly impossible to find in high grade. I believe its the latest Lincoln issue without a MS67RD.

David

LeeBone

There`s also the 70-S Small Date...

ambro51

I think there are two viewpoints on this. A serious collector certainly would think of the earlier key dates, but to the kid who grew up in the sixties and early seventies, the 1955'-S was the "great KEY coin" to the 1941- whitman folder. Almost never found in circulation, at least here on the East Coast, it was the first coin I bought by mail order. Its still in its spot!

Mercfan

<< <i>I think there are two viewpoints on this. A serious collector certainly would think of the earlier key dates, but to the kid who grew up in the sixties and early seventies, the 1955'-S was the "great KEY coin" to the 1941- whitman folder. Almost never found in circulation, at least here on the East Coast, it was the first coin I bought by mail order. Its still in its spot! >>



Amazing how many of us (in the East, as least) had this same experience as kids. When I was pursuing the holy grail of filling the 55-S hole in my Whitman folder #2 from my parents' change, I should instead have been spending all of my allowance on S mintmarks in the early teens. Now I've got a couple of rolls of lovely BU 55-S Lincolns, and my children and grandchildren will never think of that date as special. But when I was 12? Phew, we all thought that was a desirable coin!

Cameonut

I voted "other" because I think the 1990 'no S' should be considered.

kevinstang

I voted for the 55-S, like others have said, when putting together my first whitman folder as a kid, it was the only coin I had to purchase and could not find here in the northeast. Think I paid 25 cents for a nice one back then. Edit to add- that was the 41 an up set.

Dennis88

1990-(S) Proof Lincoln

ziggy29

<< <i>I voted for the 55-S, like others have said, when putting together my first whitman folder as a kid, it was the only coin I had to purchase and could not find here in the northeast. Think I paid 25 cents for a nice one back then. Edit to add- that was the 41 an up set. >>

When I was growing up in the 1970s, the one that kicked my butt was the '74-P. I think it took something like five years or more before we ever saw one. Yes, we lived in California, but we saw other P-mint dates before and after '74 with at least some frequency. Funny thing is, in most of the country collectors would have gladly mailed me one in exchange for one of the many '74-S cents we got.

droopyd

I vote for the 1919-S.

When we were kids back in the '70s, my brother and I often found 1919-S cents in change. Together, we found about three dozen over the course of five years. I have no idea why we found so many of this data and no other pre-1940 "S" mint coins in circulation. We found them sporadically, one at a time, so it doesn't appear as if a solid-date roll was liberated from somewhere.

As I recall, my brother plucked the best one (in AU), although most were in VF condition.

ziggy29

<< <i>I have no idea why we found so many of this data and no other pre-1940 "S" mint coins in circulation. >>

The 1919-S has, by far, the highest mintage of any S-mint Lincoln before 1940. There were nearly 140 million minted. Second closest before 1940? 1929-S, with just over 50 million.

WaterSport

If they would make it, My favorite "S" cent would be the 2009 S VDB!

WS

Cocoinut

For me, the last "great" S mint would be the 1931-S. Nearly all of the S mint Lincolns from the teens and twenties are scarce to rare in MSRD condition. The '29-S and '30-S are pretty common. The '31-S has always been readily available (for a price), but due to its low mintage, it deserves the title of the last great S mint Lincoln. Unless you're looking at super-high grade MS pieces, everything after 1931 is just too common (and yes, it took me years to find a '55-S in circulation, but when you can buy unc. rolls for less than $15, it loses some of its mystique).

Jim

MisterBungle

I think this thread needs some photos!!

I'll start with a '55-S.



~

66RB

For me, I would have to say that the 1928-S Lincoln is the last great 'S' mint Lincoln. pop. of 40 in 65RD, 5 in 66RD....3 in 65RB 0 higher......1 in 65BN 0 higher. Tough coin to find in gem condition and that is what I would say makes for a great coin, in any series.

31-S is always available as these were quickly recognized to have a low mintage, so they are not hard to get. There is no mystique there for me that would make me think it is a great, or must have coin. I just see way too many of them everywhere to get excited about them anymore.

35-S is much tougher than the 31-S, but it is in the "easy" 34-58 set, and for me, most of these are boring coins. I had a 35-S in 66RD, never really looked at it too much, the temptation to sell it overcame my desire to own it anymore. Especially considering I was able to buy it for a stupidly low price.

1990-S 'No-S', maybe if it actually had the S on it

I respect everyone's choices, for me it would be a little different, and isn't that what makes this place great?

Shamika

Anything after 31-S simply doesn't grab my attention. I still remember buying my first 31-S some 23 years ago. Can't say the same about any other post 31 cent (other than steelies).

segoja

Clearly the 69-S Double Die.

It's the single rarest "S" mint Lincoln Cent in existence.

dbldie55

I never found a 55-S in my searches. Only found 1 1954. (not that I found any of the older ones either)

savoyspecial

1943-S in copper would make the list


also, this may be a stretch but werent the SMS coins minted in san francisco (depite being without a mintmark).....if so, then the 1964 offering must be mentioned

greg