1964-D Lincoln Memorial Cent
Circulation strike struck at the Denver Mint · 3,799,071,500 made
- Mintage
- 3,799,071,500
- Metal
- 95% copper, 5% 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 1964-D Lincoln Memorial Cent worth?
In circulated condition it's worth face value. Only uncirculated coins with full original luster, or a recognized variety, carry a premium.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- Full red copper color (labeled RD) rather than brown
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1964-D Lincoln Memorial Cent rare?
- Not by date: 3.8 billion were struck. A sharp uncirculated coin or a known variety is what makes one special.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1964 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). On this coin the mark is D, for Denver.
- Which Denver dates near 1964 are scarcer?
- The 1959-D at 1,279,760,000, the 1960-D at 1,580,884,000, the 1961-D at 1,753,266,700, plus 3 more. So the 1964-D is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1964-D Lincoln Memorial Cent coins were made?
- 3,799,071,500.
What to check on your 1964-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 1964 (2.5 billion 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 1964 Lincoln Memorial Cent Proof (3,950,762 made) is the one to compare with.
- 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.
With 3,799,071,500 made, you can still find a 1964-D in rolls, old jars and inherited collections. The coins worth keeping are the uncirculated ones and any with a doubled die or other variety.
The story of the 1964-D
Denver made 3,799,071,500 in 1964, up from 1.8 billion in 1963. From 1965 to 1967, Denver's coins carried no mint mark, so they can't be told from Philadelphia's; the Denver mark returns with the 1968-D.
1964 came to 2.5 billion, so neither mint's 1964 coin is much scarcer than the other.
Across Denver's 47 Lincoln Memorial Cent issues, the hardest to find is the 1959-D with 1,279,760,000 made. The 1964-D is on the scarcer side of the middle. Within the 1960s it's 18th smallest of 19, between the 1968-D (2.9 billion) and the 1969-D (4 billion).
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.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1964
The Kennedy half dollar was introduced months after President Kennedy's assassination. It was the last year of 90% silver dimes, quarters and halves. The Mint kept striking 1964-dated silver coins well after the year ended to fight a national coin shortage.
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 | 1964 |
| Mint | Denver Mint |
| Mint mark | "D" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 3,799,071,500 |
| Face value | 1¢ |
| Composition | 95% copper, 5% zinc (brass) |
| Weight | 3.11 grams |
| Diameter | 19.05 mm |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | Victor David Brenner (obverse); Frank Gasparro (reverse) |
Other 1964 Lincoln Memorial Cent issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 Lincoln Memorial Cent | 2,451,945,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1964 Lincoln Memorial Cent Proof | 3,950,762 | Proof | – |
| 1964-D Lincoln Memorial Cent | 3,799,071,500 | 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.