Just a thought, but if the 2026 Lincoln Cent (dual date) is a zinc planchet coin, does that make it any worse than a copper (or brass) coin? I dont know.
We do know that zinc cents in general are more prone to spots. So time will tell if there are any out there that will end up in a PCGS holder with a grade in the high 60's that stay RED. My guess is they will. Why? I compare the total population of 1 cent coins in the card holders (300,000) to the 2019-W Lincoln cents (346,000) that ended up getting significantly higher PCGS ratings, including 25 that were graded MS70. It is extremely hard to find bronze 1 cent that graded MS70. I dont know if the zinc plancets produce better strikes than bronze. I do know that zinc coins tend to have a very thin copper layer. So a good percentage of them will get "cancer" if there is a break in the copper layers.
Screenshot of the PCGS population report for 2019:
Compare this to the Brass coins in 1981: (fewer MS69's and MS70's)
" "
Just noticing a pattern. I cant really explain the number of MS70's but maybe zinc planchets produce more "perfect" cents? Or maybe just maybe, the W-mint is doing a better job?
“When you don't know what you're talking about, it's hard to know when you're finished.” - Tommy Smothers
@kiyote said:
But this is the final year of the cent, so I can understand paying that *
this reply is going to age like hot milk left in a car
Are we positive this will be the last Lincoln cent ?
I'm not so sure ...
I went to the all knowing ChatGPT and asked it to do a detailed analysis of current information and what the chance was that there would be cents struck for 2027 in the mint and proof sets -- came back 95-98% probability that there would be. So I have just out-sourced my guessing to ChatGPT.
I would also note that the Mint has cents listed in the current 2027 set information, for what things that the Mint says are worth anything.
Straight from the description of the 2026 Silver Proof Set on the mint's web site:
"Note: In the Fall of 2025, the United States Mint officially struck the final “circulating” one-cent coins, marking the end of over 230 years of continuous production for everyday commerce. While the Mint will no longer produce circulating pennies, we will continue to produce numismatic (collectible) pennies. Going forward, our numismatic penny can be found in the following United States Mint’s annual products such as the Proof Set, Silver Proof Set and Uncirculated Set."
If in fact they do .... I wish for a new design on the reverse !!
Bring back the wheat!
My mom got a 50c in the mail - some sort of charity / donation request. She was using it to do her lottery scratchers.
I commandeered it - but I'll use it as a ball marker for golf.
Glad I didnt drop the $$$ for this set, if just for the cent. I got the silver proof.
Bring back the wheat!
My mom got a 50c in the mail - some sort of charity / donation request. She was using it to do her lottery scratchers.
I commandeered it - but I'll use it as a ball marker for golf.
Glad I didnt drop the $$$ for this set, if just for the cent. I got the silver proof.
Yes, the wheat in 95% copper 5% zinc (low zinc brass).
I do miss the Lincoln Memorial reverses. I really didn't like the shield, The Lincoln memorial design made it easier to grade, (or downgrade) especially by looking for the details like the number of steps, the statue inside the memorial etc. The wheat design? looks nice, and also counting the lines in the wheat stalks is how they are graded. I used to think they were feathers, but I digress . I still remember finding them in pocket change back in the 60's and 70's.
In my opinion The best reverses were the four 2009 anniversary reverses. Until recently, these were relatively low mintage for modern era circulating one cent pieces.
Birth and Early Childhood (Log Cabin): 634,800,000 minted
Formative Years: 739,600,000 minted
Professional Life: 652,000,000 minted
Presidency: 327,600,000 minted
Unlike the dual date 2026 cent, or the 2019-W we actually got them in change on occasion.
The 2026 NIFC cent may be rare, but it looks pretty ordinary. You will never see one in the wild, since they are so coveted. The fact its made on a Zinc-Copper planchet does not bother me, though they could have done it on a real bronze planchet for posterity
The mint is guilty of creating "artificial scarcity". I would rather have them released into circulation the way they supposed did with the July 4th privy on the Declaration of Independence Quarter. (still not yet available at a bank branch near me however) grrrrr.
“When you don't know what you're talking about, it's hard to know when you're finished.” - Tommy Smothers
Here's my question - how do these cents not absolutely destroy the value of the omega cents, since they now replace them as the last business strike issue?
@dcarr said:
Are the 2026 Lincoln cents zinc or bronze ?
Zinc
.
What the hell is wrong with them (the US Mint, I mean) ?
The 2009 mint set Lincoln Cents were solid bronze.
I realize that the US Mint may have tons (literally) of left-over zinc cent blanks.
But couldn't they spend five cents more to make the 2026 cents in sold bronze instead of the lowly copper-plated zinc ?
.
No. It would literally not add one cent to what people would be willing to pay, which is already through the roof, so there is no need.
.
That is false. You can't know what all other people are thinking, and claiming that you do is untrue.
I don't speak for other people, but I personally would buy one or more if they were bronze.
But in the zinc composition, I will pass.
.
Maybe. It would definitely be true if there were other cents available. I don't know that there are too mass> @FlyingAl said:
Here's my question - how do these cents not absolutely destroy the value of the omega cents, since they now replace them as the last business strike issue?
They do not have the omega privy, so that is still an incredibly scarce type.
The 2026 are "business strikes" but not "circulating coinage". Now, you're going to tell me that the Omega coins are also not circulating coinage. That's true. But the Omega type is a commemorative that marks the end of circulating cents. That remains true, even if the continue to put cents in annual sets for the next 100 years.
They also did not strike any gold cents this year.
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
"Register today for this subscription program, and you will receive the United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set® as your first set.
The United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set® includes two folders, one from the U.S. Mint at Philadelphia with coins bearing the “P” mint mark and the other from the U.S. Mint at Denver with coins bearing the “D” mint mark. Coins in each folder include:
2027 Quarters
One Native American $1 Coin
One Roosevelt dime
One Jefferson nickel
One Lincoln penny
U.S. Mint uncirculated coins are struck on special presses using greater force than what is used for circulating coins, producing a sharp, intricately detailed image. The coins are sealed in blisters and displayed in folders.
If you wish to purchase the prior year set, visit the Annual Coin Sets area and order it separately while supplies last.
By signing up today, you will receive the next set and all future sets."
@FlyingAl said:
Here's my question - how do these cents not absolutely destroy the value of the omega cents, since they now replace them as the last business strike issue?
"Register today for this subscription program, and you will receive the United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set® as your first set.
The United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set® includes two folders, one from the U.S. Mint at Philadelphia with coins bearing the “P” mint mark and the other from the U.S. Mint at Denver with coins bearing the “D” mint mark. Coins in each folder include:
2027 Quarters
One Native American $1 Coin
One Roosevelt dime
One Jefferson nickel
One Lincoln penny
U.S. Mint uncirculated coins are struck on special presses using greater force than what is used for circulating coins, producing a sharp, intricately detailed image. The coins are sealed in blisters and displayed in folders.
If you wish to purchase the prior year set, visit the Annual Coin Sets area and order it separately while supplies last.
By signing up today, you will receive the next set and all future sets."
@FlyingAl said:
Here's my question - how do these cents not absolutely destroy the value of the omega cents, since they now replace them as the last business strike issue?
They do list the Half Dollar when you click the Specifications, so maybe they haven't decided yet...
I was trying to get a picture of the Denver Half in the mint set - it is flawless [appearing] with prooflike surfaces, the imperfections are in/on the plastic packaging. Not crazy about the dummy torch on the reverse but like the obverse even if Liberty appears a bit stark:
Love that Milled British (1830-1960) Well, just Love coins, period.
My Denver Uncs sets were better than Philly flats. 60% rejects. Better than silver proof sets at 17% keeper. Still quite happy I had keepers as in past I've had a 100% reject once, 10 for 10
"Register today for this subscription program, and you will receive the United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set® as your first set.
The United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set® includes two folders, one from the U.S. Mint at Philadelphia with coins bearing the “P” mint mark and the other from the U.S. Mint at Denver with coins bearing the “D” mint mark. Coins in each folder include:
2027 Quarters
One Native American $1 Coin
One Roosevelt dime
One Jefferson nickel
One Lincoln penny
U.S. Mint uncirculated coins are struck on special presses using greater force than what is used for circulating coins, producing a sharp, intricately detailed image. The coins are sealed in blisters and displayed in folders.
If you wish to purchase the prior year set, visit the Annual Coin Sets area and order it separately while supplies last.
By signing up today, you will receive the next set and all future sets."
@FlyingAl said:
Here's my question - how do these cents not absolutely destroy the value of the omega cents, since they now replace them as the last business strike issue?
The quality of these sets made them so unworthy of being in my possession, pretty sure I sold off enough of them to enable me to jump into the waiting room for the 1 oz Liberty Bell golds this Thursday
@Capgun said:
These quality of these sets made them so unworthy of being in my possession, pretty sure I sold off enough of them to enable me to jump into the waiting room for the 1 oz Liberty Bell golds this Thursday
Yeah, I do not see much to send in for grading out of 14 sets, so sold them off in parts -- the cents went really well and paid for the entire set.
They are incomplete. They do not have this 2026 coin in them, nor the privy mark quarters.
Numismatist. 54 year member ANA. Former ANA Senior Authenticator. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and ANA Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Also won the PNG's Robert Friedberg Award for "The Enigmatic Lincoln Cents of 1922," Available now from Whitman or Amazon.
@Bullsitter said:
Very pleased with my set, the Denver Mint coins were really nice. Both Lincoln cents looked great.
The outer box sucks, for $125 they should have done better.
I still think that using brass for the cents would not have cost much and would have been a real improvement.
For the price of this set it would have been nice if they treated the coins with a little care. It's very obvious all the coins including the Lincoln was pulled from a bin or ballistic bag. The overall quality from the coins to the cheap packaging is subpar for such a huge increase in price. I'd like to know what the profit margin is on this set but I'd bet it is very large. They obviously don't care about the quality of this product. It's just show me the money and like it or lump it.
“But they didn't, so there are only 300,000 business strike cents available. That makes the $124.50 a reasonable price. “
As a gift ? Perhaps for someone but not for me; when they removed silver from circulating coinage my coin interest calendar stopped at 1964. Add to that the use of credit cards instead of cash, and a general disinterest in circulating coins …
“But they didn't, so there are only 300,000 business strike cents available. That makes the $124.50 a reasonable price. “
As a gift ? Perhaps for someone but not for me; when they removed silver from circulating coinage my coin interest calendar stopped at 1964. Add to that the use of credit cards instead of cash, and a general disinterest in circulating coins …
Gift is irrelevant. The secondary market supports the price point.
You may not think a Coach bag is worth $10k "as a gift", but it's so a $10k Coach bag.
A Ferrari is $300,000. Your desire to use it as a garden gnome will not lower the price.
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
Then I deployed my big view lens and there were numerous hits, ticks, contact marks. Denver sets looked better than Philly. 6 sent back, already got my credit that pays for about 1/2 of my 1916 Topless 1/4 ounce 24k 25c goodie with a dateless silver ounce tossed in. So, I rolled back my QC challenged baseless metal trinkets for an over priced goldie in a design I am happy to own !
I do not resell coins so I either love these items or they go bye~bye. Same with amazon, same with costco, same with walmart, same with ebay. I not a dealer, just a picky consumer. Everything i return is new, but tearing open these unc sets boxes did give me pause and I wondered if they'd shut the door & say no more.
Comments
Just a thought, but if the 2026 Lincoln Cent (dual date) is a zinc planchet coin, does that make it any worse than a copper (or brass) coin? I dont know.
We do know that zinc cents in general are more prone to spots. So time will tell if there are any out there that will end up in a PCGS holder with a grade in the high 60's that stay RED. My guess is they will. Why? I compare the total population of 1 cent coins in the card holders (300,000) to the 2019-W Lincoln cents (346,000) that ended up getting significantly higher PCGS ratings, including 25 that were graded MS70. It is extremely hard to find bronze 1 cent that graded MS70. I dont know if the zinc plancets produce better strikes than bronze. I do know that zinc coins tend to have a very thin copper layer. So a good percentage of them will get "cancer" if there is a break in the copper layers.
Screenshot of the PCGS population report for 2019:
Compare this to the Brass coins in 1981: (fewer MS69's and MS70's)
" "
Just noticing a pattern. I cant really explain the number of MS70's but maybe zinc planchets produce more "perfect" cents? Or maybe just maybe, the W-mint is doing a better job?
Bring back the wheat!
My mom got a 50c in the mail - some sort of charity / donation request. She was using it to do her lottery scratchers.
I commandeered it - but I'll use it as a ball marker for golf.
Glad I didnt drop the $$$ for this set, if just for the cent. I got the silver proof.
Yes, the wheat in 95% copper 5% zinc (low zinc brass).
I do miss the Lincoln Memorial reverses. I really didn't like the shield, The Lincoln memorial design made it easier to grade, (or downgrade) especially by looking for the details like the number of steps, the statue inside the memorial etc. The wheat design? looks nice, and also counting the lines in the wheat stalks is how they are graded. I used to think they were feathers, but I digress . I still remember finding them in pocket change back in the 60's and 70's.
In my opinion The best reverses were the four 2009 anniversary reverses. Until recently, these were relatively low mintage for modern era circulating one cent pieces.
Birth and Early Childhood (Log Cabin): 634,800,000 minted
Formative Years: 739,600,000 minted
Professional Life: 652,000,000 minted
Presidency: 327,600,000 minted
Unlike the dual date 2026 cent, or the 2019-W we actually got them in change on occasion.
The 2026 NIFC cent may be rare, but it looks pretty ordinary. You will never see one in the wild, since they are so coveted. The fact its made on a Zinc-Copper planchet does not bother me, though they could have done it on a real bronze planchet for posterity
The mint is guilty of creating "artificial scarcity". I would rather have them released into circulation the way they supposed did with the July 4th privy on the Declaration of Independence Quarter. (still not yet available at a bank branch near me however) grrrrr.
Here's my question - how do these cents not absolutely destroy the value of the omega cents, since they now replace them as the last business strike issue?
Coin Photography
Maybe. It would definitely be true if there were other cents available. I don't know that there are too mass> @FlyingAl said:
They do not have the omega privy, so that is still an incredibly scarce type.
The 2026 are "business strikes" but not "circulating coinage". Now, you're going to tell me that the Omega coins are also not circulating coinage. That's true. But the Omega type is a commemorative that marks the end of circulating cents. That remains true, even if the continue to put cents in annual sets for the next 100 years.
They also did not strike any gold cents this year.
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
2027 Cents are included in Mint Set subscription while half dollars are deleted:
https://www.usmint.gov/uncirculated-coin-set-subscription-MW.html
"Register today for this subscription program, and you will receive the United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set® as your first set.
The United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set® includes two folders, one from the U.S. Mint at Philadelphia with coins bearing the “P” mint mark and the other from the U.S. Mint at Denver with coins bearing the “D” mint mark. Coins in each folder include:
2027 Quarters
One Native American $1 Coin
One Roosevelt dime
One Jefferson nickel
One Lincoln penny
U.S. Mint uncirculated coins are struck on special presses using greater force than what is used for circulating coins, producing a sharp, intricately detailed image. The coins are sealed in blisters and displayed in folders.
If you wish to purchase the prior year set, visit the Annual Coin Sets area and order it separately while supplies last.
By signing up today, you will receive the next set and all future sets."
They do list the Half Dollar when you click the Specifications, so maybe they haven't decided yet...
I was trying to get a picture of the Denver Half in the mint set - it is flawless [appearing] with prooflike surfaces, the imperfections are in/on the plastic packaging. Not crazy about the dummy torch on the reverse but like the obverse even if Liberty appears a bit stark:
Well, just Love coins, period.
My Denver Uncs sets were better than Philly flats. 60% rejects. Better than silver proof sets at 17% keeper. Still quite happy I had keepers as in past I've had a 100% reject once, 10 for 10
Try looking closer, like at the half dollar in the specifications:
https://www.usmint.gov/uncirculated-coin-set-subscription-MW.html
The quality of these sets made them so unworthy of being in my possession, pretty sure I sold off enough of them to enable me to jump into the waiting room for the 1 oz Liberty Bell golds this Thursday
I was finally able to pick up a couple this morning on the mints website. They didn’t last long.
Yeah, I do not see much to send in for grading out of 14 sets, so sold them off in parts -- the cents went really well and paid for the entire set.
Very pleased with my set, the Denver Mint coins were really nice. Both Lincoln cents looked great.
The outer box sucks, for $125 they should have done better.
They are incomplete. They do not have this 2026 coin in them, nor the privy mark quarters.
I still think that using brass for the cents would not have cost much and would have been a real improvement.
For the price of this set it would have been nice if they treated the coins with a little care. It's very obvious all the coins including the Lincoln was pulled from a bin or ballistic bag. The overall quality from the coins to the cheap packaging is subpar for such a huge increase in price. I'd like to know what the profit margin is on this set but I'd bet it is very large. They obviously don't care about the quality of this product. It's just show me the money and like it or lump it.
“But they didn't, so there are only 300,000 business strike cents available. That makes the $124.50 a reasonable price. “
As a gift ? Perhaps for someone but not for me; when they removed silver from circulating coinage my coin interest calendar stopped at 1964. Add to that the use of credit cards instead of cash, and a general disinterest in circulating coins …
Gift is irrelevant. The secondary market supports the price point.
You may not think a Coach bag is worth $10k "as a gift", but it's so a $10k Coach bag.
A Ferrari is $300,000. Your desire to use it as a garden gnome will not lower the price.
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
HHL 10 LOOKED GREAT, SO FLASHY !
Then I deployed my big view lens and there were numerous hits, ticks, contact marks. Denver sets looked better than Philly. 6 sent back, already got my credit that pays for about 1/2 of my 1916 Topless 1/4 ounce 24k 25c goodie with a dateless silver ounce tossed in. So, I rolled back my QC challenged baseless metal trinkets for an over priced goldie in a design I am happy to own !
I do not resell coins so I either love these items or they go bye~bye. Same with amazon, same with costco, same with walmart, same with ebay. I not a dealer, just a picky consumer. Everything i return is new, but tearing open these unc sets boxes did give me pause and I wondered if they'd shut the door & say no more.
For $125 they should have served Brunch!
The reverse of the quarter looks like the pilgrim commem, assuming that was intentional?
some designs were reused from previous issues. i wouldn't be surprised if they borrowed the idea