1974-S Lincoln Memorial Cent
Circulation strike struck at the San Francisco Mint · 409,426,660 made
- Mintage
- 409,426,660
- 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 1974-S Lincoln Memorial Cent worth?
Worn examples are worth face value and can be spent. Keep it only if it looks uncirculated or shows a known variety.
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 1974-S Lincoln Memorial Cent rare?
- Not in absolute terms: 409 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 1974 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 1974 are scarcer?
- The 1973-S at 317,177,295, the 1972-S at 376,939,108. So the 1974-S is on the scarcer side for those years.
- How many 1974-S Lincoln Memorial Cent coins were made?
- 409,426,660.
What to check on your 1974-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 1974 (4.1 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 1974-S Lincoln Memorial Cent Proof (2,612,568 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 409 million made, the 1974-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 1974-S
San Francisco made 409,426,660 in 1974, up from 317 million in 1973. It turned out to be San Francisco's last Lincoln Memorial Cent for circulation.
The other mints made far more that year: 1974-D alone came to 4.2 billion, roughly 10 for every 1974-S. That makes the 1974-S the scarcer 1974 coin, though still a common one.
Across San Francisco's 7 Lincoln Memorial Cent issues, the hardest to find is the 1968-S with 258,270,001 made. The 1974-S is one of the easier ones. Within the 1970s it's 3rd smallest of 25, between the 1972-S (377 million) and the 1971-S (525 million).
Aluminum trials, West Point and the zinc switch (1974 to 1982)
Rising copper costs led the Mint to strike about 1.5 million aluminum cents dated 1974 as a test. Congress did not approve them. Nearly all were melted, though a few left the Mint and are not legal to own. Meanwhile, demand kept growing. The West Point facility struck billions of cents in these years with no mint mark, making them indistinguishable from Philadelphia coins.
Proofs struck at San Francisco show Filled S and Clear S varieties in 1979 and 1981. The clear S is the scarcer. In 1982 the Mint changed to copper-plated zinc, lowering the weight from 3.11 grams to 2.5 grams. That year has seven major varieties combining metal (bronze or zinc), date size (large or small) and mint (Philadelphia or Denver). A scale is the easiest way to tell bronze from zinc for 1982.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1974
With copper prices rising, the Mint struck experimental aluminum cents dated 1974. Nearly all were destroyed and they were never issued.
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 | 1974 |
| Mint | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 409,426,660 |
| 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 1974 Lincoln Memorial Cent issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 Lincoln Memorial Cent | 4,103,183,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1974 Aluminum Cent (Pattern) | about 1,570,000 known | Variety | – |
| 1974 Lincoln Memorial Cent (Bronze-plated steel pattern) | about 1,570,000 known | Variety | – |
| 1974-D Lincoln Memorial Cent | 4,235,098,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1974-D Aluminum Cent (Pattern) | about 10 known | Variety | – |
| 1974-S Lincoln Memorial Cent | 409,426,660 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1974-S Lincoln Memorial Cent Proof | 2,612,568 | 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.