1996 Lincoln Cent
Base
About This Coin
The 1996 Lincoln Cent is a United States cent from the Lincoln Memorial Cents 1959-2008 series — 38th of 50 years in the series. In 1996, coins were struck at the San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Denver Mints with a combined mintage of 2.5 million. This ranks 5th 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.. Standard production from both mints. Large mintages reflected economic expansion. Struck in copper-plated zinc, weighing 2.5 grams, 19 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. Collectors have cataloged 132 known die varieties for this date across 14 categories, including atypical die clash, bie die break cent, bisecting rim to rim die crack and 11 other types. Across its variants, estimated values range from $0 to $6 depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $2.5K in MS63BN grade at eBay. 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.
