C

hanges to the Lincoln Cent design have occurred with regularity on the obverse and with some frequency on the reverse. The obverse changes are a no brainer. Given that the date changes each years, tweaking the design would be a natural byproduct. The changes to the reverse design seem to be the result of adjusting the striking pressure and die relief for the very high mintages of the modern era.

For the most part these design changes have gone unnoticed. Since the mint kept few records of such changes, it is left to the numismatist to discover them on his own. For the ardent numismatist, they are diamonds in the rough, just waiting to be discovered. It appears that in 1971 the master die was slightly enhanced sometime late in the year. A couple of the combinations of the old and new designs are difficult to find. 1974 also saw two competing obverse designs. Combine that with a change in the S mintmark and several design pairings come into existence. A couple of transitional reverse pairings are known for 1988, 1992, and 1998-2000. The 1992 transitional design pairings are rare.

Obverse Design Varieties

Memorial Reverse Design Varieties

For the ardent numismatist, they are diamonds in the rough,
just waiting to be discovered.