Lincoln cent; Question and comments about and higher grades (or lack of).

BulletBiter · February 25, 2007 4:33AM

This all started when I began looking for a high grade Lincoln for my 20th century type set. Still haven’t pulled the trigger but someday.

One of the things that I have noticed is when you look at the pop reports and grades for the Lincoln Memorial cents between 59’ and 99’. Based on the copies of the reports that I have, which are a few months old, there are 0 -- MS70RD and Only 88 -- MS69RD cents graded with those designation. Starting in 2000 the numbers take some pretty serious jumps. Based on some previous posts addressing related issues, it sounds like the process the mint uses makes finding a higher grade cent almost an anomaly. Although I have looked at many in hand and a hundred times more pictures online of MS67RD, MS68RD, or even the MS69RD Lincolns, I certainly am not able to tell the difference on the nicer examples. Some have some glaring issues and others look flawless. However that doesn’t seem to be the distinguishing factor on the end grade.

So then is it the strike itself that determines the grade? A softer strike would in theory be a reduced grade? Again, this does not seem to be the case. In all three grades I’ve looked at there are examples of noted soft strikes that made it into higher then I would expect holders.

It is mentioned numerous times through out other threads that even the mint sets are marred and show signs of contact marks. Good luck then finding one in circulation.

So my real questions; is it even possible to find a “perfect” Lincoln Memorial Cent? Or is a very seldom found MD69RD as close to perfect as you could expect to ever find?

Thanks!

perfectstrike · February 25, 2007 5:28AM

It's the number of contact marks and where they fall that determine grade. Finding an older MS67 Lincoln is mostly luck, but you will have to search thousands of rolls to help with the odds. Through 1975, I find most of my better ones in rolls. They are much cheaper that mint sets and there didn't seem to be much special handling for mint set production. Starting in the 80's, mint set quality improved dramatically. There are much higher rates of MS68 than found in rolls. In 1999, there was a marked increase in mint set quality. I attribute this to a switch in mint shipping procedures. $50 bags were the way cents used to be shipped, now they use 1 ton kevlar bags. I don't know when the switch started, but it was certainly complete by 2005. There is a lot of shifting in these huge bags. Since 2004, I've only found a handfull of MS68's in rolls and that's the only source for business strikes now. On the other hand, if you search enough 1999-2003 mint sets you are bound to find MS69's. I've made a significant number of the 2002 population from about 1000 mint sets that I purchased.

David

BulletBiter · February 25, 2007 6:50AM

That certainly makes sense and would account for the big jump in pop numbers starting in 2000. I guess I could start looking through rolls and see if I can make my own. Plus it would be cheaper then buying mint sets.

Thanks David

Lincoln cent; Question and comments about and higher grades (or lack of).

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