Question for Lincoln Cent experts

Coin Finder

The 1992-D 1C Close AM PCGS. FS-901 Lincoln Cent goes for thousands in unc and as much as $2000 for AU.



Is this coin really worth that? Mintage that year was over 4 billion, how rare can these be?



Your expert opinion is valued!

291fifth

The real question is: "Are there wealthy collectors who actually care enough about this minor variety to spend big money on it?" To me, it is just another ho-hum minor variety that is worth no premium.

Rampage

It's a transitional variety if I recall correctly, so not so minor.

Browe

The transitional pieces do have a following, and to my knowledge only a handful of 92-D have been reported. Whether they are "worth" the thousands, for me no I'd rather spend the money elsewhere, for others clearly yes as they have sold in the recent past for the amounts stated.

BustHalfBrian

You cannot use the 4 billion figure to determine the mintage of this rare variety; that's like using the mintage of the 1958 cent, which stood at over 250 million, to determine the rarity of the 1958 DDO (1-2 known).



Just because billion of cents were made for that year does not mean a significant number were the Close AM variety.

commoncents05

It is a genuinely rare coin. I sold a PCGS Genuine (Damaged) coin in 2014 for $850. At the time, there were less than 20 known. I don't know of any large groups being found since then.



-Paul

mannie gray

It's a tough variety, but there is relatively little interest as of now.

The coin has to be all there 65 or better, then it's a quick sell, but lower grade pieces are a sloooooooooow move.

Just my .02

perfectstrike

There have been only a handful of red 92D's found and graded. There may only be 2 of the 92P's in red graded. I've searched about 50,000 of each date and never found one from either mint. Compare that to the couple 1998-2000 wide AM's I've found from searching maybe 1/10 of that volume.
I wouldn't compare the rarity to the 1958 DDO, but maybe the 1969S DDO.
David

WaterSport

Its proving to have a very slow growing population..BUT, because we have seen plenty of ultra rare "modern" varieties crash and burn out due to population increases only time will tell.



WS

dpoole

This is a proof die used perhaps as a trial for the business strikes, and a few got out into circulation. Only a handful of 1992-D specimens have been found, and even fewer of the 1992-P, which is a genuine rarity.



These along with the 1998-1999-2000 Wide AM varieties are fun to look for, since they can generally be spotted with a glance, without magnification. They are in demand, because there are few out there. And these are among the few varieties that can be easily spotted among circulated coins.

It's what makes the hobby fun, and takes me back to my youth, when I could look through pocket change (with the lust of a lottery ticket buyer) for such things as the 1955 DDO, the 1943 copper, the 1927-S Standing Liberty etc. etc.



The mintage for the straight "wide AM" 1992s was obviously massive, but much of the hobby IS about finding the Mint's mistakes and variety issues.



As to "worth," well, if you collect coins like the rest of us, it's "worth" it to locate the hard-to-find specimen you were looking for!

TwoSides2aCoin

MINOR variety ? minor leaguers ought to try finding one.

291fifth

The fact that it is rare does not make it a major variety. Major varieties are those that are touted and hyped by the "right" dealers and collectors and find their way into listings of must have coins that large numbers of collectors will want. The US series has many "rare" minor varieties that either have never caught on or were hyped, dumped and abandoned. Finding varieties such as these can be fun and challenging but it is probably best to only "make your own" and leave your wallet in your pocket.

DCW

Both the 92 and 92-d's have sold for about $20k in high mint state a few years back. The '92-d has been reported a couple times a year by Cherrypickers. I haven't heard of a 92 p being found in quite some time.



While they're not "major" to a lot of people, these transitional varieties are eagerly sought by specialists and are certainly mainstays of the series.

joeykoins

Originally posted by: DCW
Both the 92 and 92-d's have sold for about $20k in high mint state a few years back. The '92-d has been reported a couple times a year by Cherrypickers. I haven't heard of a 92 p being found in quite some time.

While they're not "major" to a lot of people, these transitional varieties are eagerly sought by specialists and are certainly mainstays of the series.

Yes! I am one of those seekers for this jewel. I've been searching ever since I got into errors/varieties. About 15 years now, still to no avail but still hunting. The same for the fun of the hunt as dpoole mentioned, for the '98,'99 and 2000 "Wide A.M. varieties". This coin ('92d or'92p Close A.M.) is exciting to search for because of the reward finding it!$$$$$$$ What might be even rarer is the Wide A.M.1996 cent? Still on the hunt for these as well.-joey

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291fifth

Originally posted by: FadeToBlack
I've too kept my eyes peeled for a '92 or '92-D Close AM. Freakin' things are impossible to find... I've got dozens of '98's and '00's, and 3 '99 Wide AM's, but the Close AM eludes me.

My guess is that maybe 1,500 total Denver pieces exist, of which maybe 300-400 will be found at most.

The Philly's on the other hand, I think three are known? I'd guess there's maybe 100 in existence. Pretty freakin' rare and not minor, not when every single cent roll hunter is looking for them and knows what they are.

But how many of those "roll hunters" are actually willing to pay big money for such a variety?

Coin Finder

Thanks to all who replied.... quite an education. I pulled my large jar of cents and found only 7 1992 D cents no phillys and none of the Close AM variety. So from what I am understanding this is a wholly different die, a die of the rev of 1993. This die was used in the presses with 1992 obverse dies and nobody knows how many were made or why the mint did it.