1961 Lincoln Memorial Cent Proof
Proof struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 3,028,244 made
- Mintage
- 3,028,244
- Metal
- 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc
- Weight
- 3.11 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 1961 Lincoln Memorial Cent Proof worth?
Age alone gives this coin a small premium, even worn. Sharp details and original surfaces push it higher.
What would make yours worth more:
- Grade and, for proofs, strong cameo contrast
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1961 Lincoln Memorial Cent Proof rare?
- Not especially. The Mint made 3,028,244 for collectors. Most were kept in their original packaging.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1961 Lincoln Memorial Cent?
- On the obverse, below the date. Philadelphia cents have no mint mark (except the 2017-P, which is a Lincoln Shield cent).
- How many 1961 Lincoln Memorial Cent proofs were made?
- 3,028,244.
What to check on your 1961
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Judge the grade under good light. Wear first shows on Lincoln's cheekbone and hair. Doubled-die varieties from 1969-S, 1972, 1983 (reverse), 1984 and 1995 are the big money coins, so always check the lettering under magnification.
Proofs from 1961 come with and without frosted devices. Coins with strong contrast are labeled Cameo or Deep Cameo and are worth more.
The story of the 1961
The Memorial reverse and the coin shortage (1959 to 1964)
For the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's birth, Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial reverse replaced the wheat ears in 1959. A tiny statue of Lincoln is visible inside the building, so the cent shows his likeness on both sides. Mintages climbed above a billion at Denver every year of this era.
The main variety is the 1960 small date and large date. The Mint changed the date punch early in the year. Philadelphia small date coins are the scarcer issue. The 1960-D also has a small date over large date variety. A nationwide coin shortage in the early 1960s, blamed on vending machines and hoarding of silver coins, led the Mint to keep striking cents dated 1964 into 1965. Proofs were struck at Philadelphia through 1964. Red uncirculated coins are plentiful.
How to recognize it
The obverse keeps Victor David Brenner's portrait of Lincoln with the date and mint mark on the right. The reverse, by Frank Gasparro, shows the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., with a tiny statue of Lincoln visible between the central columns. E PLURIBUS UNUM is above the building and ONE CENT below. Look for the FG initials to the right of the steps.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Lincoln Memorial Cent (1959–2008) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1961 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Proof |
| Mintage | 3,028,244 |
| Face value | 1¢ |
| Composition | 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc (bronze) |
| Weight | 3.11 grams |
| Diameter | 19.05 mm |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | Victor David Brenner (obverse); Frank Gasparro (reverse) |
Other 1961 Lincoln Memorial Cent issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 Lincoln Memorial Cent | 753,345,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1961 Lincoln Memorial Cent Proof | 3,028,244 | Proof | – |
| 1961-D Lincoln Memorial Cent | 1,753,266,700 | Circulation strike | – |
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.