2009-D Formative Years Lincoln Cent
Circulation strike struck at the Denver Mint · 363,600,000 made
- Mintage
- 363,600,000
- Metal
- 97.5% zinc core, 2.5% copper plating
- Weight
- 2.5 g
- Diameter
- 19.05 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 2009-D Formative Years Lincoln Cent worth?
A worn 2009-D Formative Years is a spender: face value. A bright uncirculated one, or one with a known error, is worth setting aside.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 2009-D Formative Years Lincoln Cent rare?
- No. With 364 million made, it's one of the most common Lincoln Bicentennial Cents.
- Where is the mint mark on a 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial Cent?
- On the obverse, below the date. Philadelphia cents have no mint mark. On this coin the mark is D, for Denver.
- How many 2009-D Formative Years Lincoln Cent coins were made?
- 363,600,000.
What to check on your 2009-D
- Make sure the mint mark really is a D. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 2009 (376 million made).
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 2009-S Formative Years Lincoln Cent Proof (2,995,615 made) is the one to compare with.
- Bubbles, peeling or gray patches on a zinc cent are corrosion of the copper plating, not a minting error. They don't add value.
- Judge the grade under good light. Modern cents are judged mainly by surface quality and luster. Look for a full, crisp design and the absence of spots or zinc "bubbling" under the plating.
With 364 million made, the 2009-D still turns up in everyday change. Keep yours only if it looks uncirculated or shows a variety; otherwise it's worth face value.
The story of the 2009-D Formative Years
Denver made 363,600,000 of the Formative Years coin. That was the biggest Denver run of the 4 designs issued in 2009; Presidency had the smallest at 198 million.
Philadelphia struck a similar number of the same design (376 million), so neither mint's version is much harder to find.
Four reverses for the Lincoln bicentennial (2009)
In 2009 the Mint marked the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth and the centennial of the Lincoln cent with four reverse designs released in sequence. Birthplace shows his log cabin in Kentucky, Formative Years shows a young Lincoln reading on a log in Indiana, Professional Life shows him before the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield and Presidency shows the unfinished Capitol dome in Washington. The first design was released on February 12, Lincoln's birthday.
Circulating cents were copper-plated zinc, while collector coins in mint and proof sets were struck in the 95 percent copper alloy used for the original 1909 cent. Mintages were low compared with earlier years, especially for Presidency, at 129.6 million from Philadelphia. The Formative Years has several doubled die varieties. Coins from rolls are bright, but plating spots and wear develop quickly.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 2009
Four special reverse designs marked the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth on the cent. Quarters honored the District of Columbia and five US territories. The Native American dollar began a new reverse each year.
How to recognize it
The Formative Years design
The second of the 2009 Lincoln cents shows a young Abraham Lincoln seated on a log, reading a book while taking a break from splitting rails. The scene represents his years in Indiana, where his family moved in 1816 and where he largely educated himself by reading whatever books he could find. Charles Vickers both designed and sculpted the reverse. Lincoln lived in Indiana until 1830.
The Lincoln Bicentennial Cent design
Four reverses in 2009 traced Lincoln's life: the log cabin where he was born in Kentucky, young Lincoln reading on a log in Indiana, Lincoln as a lawyer standing before the Illinois State Capitol and the half-finished Capitol dome in Washington during his presidency. The obverse kept the standard Lincoln portrait.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Lincoln Bicentennial Cent (2009–2009) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2009 |
| Mint | Denver Mint |
| Mint mark | "D" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 363,600,000 |
| Face value | 1¢ |
| Composition | 97.5% zinc core, 2.5% copper plating |
| Weight | 2.5 grams |
| Diameter | 19.05 mm |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | Four reverse designs by Richard Masters, Charles Vickers, Joel Iskowitz and Susan Gamble |
Other 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial Cent issues
Mintage: Lincoln cent mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.