1973-S Lincoln Memorial Cent
Circulation strike struck at the San Francisco Mint · 317,177,295 made
- Mintage
- 317,177,295
- 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 1973-S 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 1973-S Lincoln Memorial Cent rare?
- Not in absolute terms: 317 million were made. It is one of the smaller runs in the series, though, so uncirculated examples are worth a little more than most dates.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1973 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 S, for San Francisco.
- Which San Francisco dates near 1973 are scarcer?
- The 1968-S at 258,270,001. So the 1973-S is on the scarcer side for those years.
- How many 1973-S Lincoln Memorial Cent coins were made?
- 317,177,295.
What to check on your 1973-S
- Make sure the mint mark really is an S. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1973-D (3.5 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 1973-S Lincoln Memorial Cent Proof (2,760,339 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 317 million made, the 1973-S 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 1973-S
San Francisco made 317,177,295 in 1973, down from 377 million in 1972. The next year it made 409 million (1974-S).
The other mints made far more that year: 1973 alone came to 3.7 billion, roughly 12 for every 1973-S. That makes the 1973-S the scarcer 1973 coin, though still a common one.
Only the 1968-S has a lower mintage among San Francisco's 7 Lincoln Memorial Cents. No Lincoln Memorial Cent of the 1970s had a smaller run.
No mint marks, special sets and famous doubled dies (1965 to 1973)
The Coinage Act of 1965 left the cent's bronze composition unchanged, but the Mint dropped mint marks from all coins from 1965 to 1967 to discourage hoarding. Collectors were offered Special Mint Sets with satin finish coins instead of proof sets. Mint marks returned in 1968. San Francisco resumed striking cents with an S for the first time since 1955.
Several doubled dies come from this period. The 1969-S doubled die obverse is rare and widely counterfeited. The 1971 and 1972 have doubled die obverses. The 1972 is one of the most dramatic, with strong doubling on the date and LIBERTY. The 1970-S has a scarce small date variety, also called the high 7. Copper prices were rising by 1973, which pushed the Treasury to look for a cheaper metal.
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 | 1973 |
| Mint | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 317,177,295 |
| 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 1973 Lincoln Memorial Cent issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 Lincoln Memorial Cent | 3,728,245,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1973-D Lincoln Memorial Cent | 3,549,576,588 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1973-S Lincoln Memorial Cent | 317,177,295 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1973-S Lincoln Memorial Cent Proof | 2,760,339 | Proof | – |
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.