1981 Lincoln Memorial Cent
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 7,491,750,000 made
- Mintage
- 7,491,750,000
- 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 1981 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 1981 Lincoln Memorial Cent rare?
- No. With 7.5 billion made, it's one of the most common Lincoln Memorial Cents.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1981 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).
- Which Philadelphia dates near 1981 are scarcer?
- The 1977 at 3,074,575,000, the 1976 at 3,133,580,000, the 1979 at 3,560,940,000, plus 4 more. So the 1981 is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1981 Lincoln Memorial Cent coins were made?
- 7,491,750,000.
What to check on your 1981
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 1981-S Lincoln Memorial Cent Proof (4,063,083 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 7.5 billion made, the 1981 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 1981
Philadelphia made 7,491,750,000 in 1981, up from 4.7 billion in 1980. In 1982 the figure was 10.7 billion.
1981-D came to 5.4 billion, so neither mint's 1981 coin is much scarcer than the other.
Across Philadelphia's 50 Lincoln Memorial Cent issues, the hardest to find is the 1965 with 301,470,000 made. The 1981 is one of the easier ones. Within the 1980s it's 17th smallest of 20, between the 1989 (7.3 billion) and the 1983 (7.8 billion).
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 1981
Susan B. Anthony dollars were made only for collector sets, ending the design until a final run in 1999.
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 | 1981 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 7,491,750,000 |
| 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 1981 Lincoln Memorial Cent issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 Lincoln Memorial Cent | 7,491,750,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1981-D Lincoln Memorial Cent | 5,373,235,677 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1981-S Lincoln Memorial Cent Proof | 4,063,083 | Proof | – |
| 1981-S Lincoln Memorial Cent Proof (Clear S) | – | Variety | – |
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.