1978 Lincoln Cent
Base
About This Coin
The 1978 Lincoln Cent is a United States cent from the Lincoln Memorial Cents 1959-2008 series — 20th of 50 years in the series. In 1978, coins were struck at the Denver, San Francisco, and Philadelphia Mints with a combined mintage of 3.1 million. This ranks 15th of 50 years by total mintage, below the series median of 3.7 million. The obverse features Abraham Lincoln facing right and the reverse displays the Lincoln Memorial building in Washington, D.C.. Both mints active with typically high mintages exceeding 5 billion combined. Struck in 95% copper, 5% zinc, weighing 3.11 grams, 19 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. Collectors have cataloged 23 known die varieties for this date across 5 categories, including cud, doubled die obverse, pre-cud and 2 other types. Across its variants, estimated values range from $0 to $3 depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $4.3K in PR70 grade at Heritage Auctions. Designed by Victor David Brenner/Frank Gasparro.
Value Estimates
Values as of May 2026 — range across all strike types, reflecting typical grades (G-4 through MS-63). Coins in lower or exceptional grades may fall outside this range.
