2012 Lincoln Shield Cent
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 3,132,000,000 made
- Mintage
- 3,132,000,000
- Metal
- 97.5% zinc core, 2.5% copper plating
- Weight
- 2.5 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 2012 Lincoln Shield 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
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 2012 Lincoln Shield Cent rare?
- No. 3.1 billion were made, a typical run for the series. Condition and varieties decide its value, not the date.
- Where is the mint mark on a 2012 Lincoln Shield Cent?
- On the obverse, below the date. Philadelphia cents have no mint mark, except the 2017-P (struck for the Mint's 225th anniversary).
- Which Philadelphia dates near 2012 are scarcer?
- The 2010 at 1,963,630,000, the 2011 at 2,402,400,000. So the 2012 is on the scarcer side for those years.
- How many 2012 Lincoln Shield Cent coins were made?
- 3,132,000,000.
What to check on your 2012
- 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 2012-S Lincoln Shield Cent Proof (1,237,415 made) is the one to compare with.
- Bubbles, peeling or gray patches on a zinc cent are corrosion of the copper plating, not a minting error. They don't add value.
- Judge the grade under good light. Modern zinc cents are judged on luster and eye appeal; spots, scratches and plating flaws lower value. Proofs are graded for cameo contrast (CAM / DCAM).
With 3.1 billion made, the 2012 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 2012
Output at Philadelphia climbed to 3,132,000,000 in 2012, from 2.4 billion the year before. The next year it made 3.8 billion (2013).
2012-D came to 2.9 billion, so neither mint's 2012 coin is much scarcer than the other.
Philadelphia struck the Lincoln Shield Cent in 16 issues between 2010 and 2025. By mintage this one lands in the scarcer half, while the key for that mint is the 2025 (655,200,000). Within the 2010s it's 6th smallest of 20, between the 2012-D (2.9 billion) and the 2013-D (3.3 billion).
The Union Shield arrives (2010 to 2013)
In 2010 the Lincoln Shield reverse by Lyndall Bass replaced the Memorial reverse. The shield symbolizes Lincoln's preservation of the Union, with E PLURIBUS UNUM on a banner across the top and ONE CENT on a scroll. Production started below 2 billion at Philadelphia in 2010, then climbed steadily to more than 3 billion by 2012 and 2013.
The 2010 uncirculated sets were the last to include satin finish cents, which makes that version a one year type for the Shield design. Philadelphia and Denver coins from these years are common, while proofs were made only at San Francisco. Collectors look for doubled dies and die cracks, but the most important factor is surface quality, since copper-plated zinc can spot or discolor easily.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 2012
The Mint stopped striking Presidential dollars for circulation after the Federal Reserve reported a huge stockpile of unused dollar coins. They were struck for collectors only from 2012.
How to recognize it
The reverse shows a union shield with a scroll reading ONE CENT across it, with E PLURIBUS UNUM above and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the top. The shield stands for Lincoln's work to preserve the Union. The obverse keeps the Lincoln portrait, with the date and any mint mark to the right.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Lincoln Shield Cent (2010–present) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2012 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 3,132,000,000 |
| Face value | 1¢ |
| Composition | 97.5% zinc core, 2.5% copper plating |
| Weight | 2.5 grams |
| Diameter | 19.05 mm |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | Lyndall Bass (reverse), sculpted by Joseph Menna |
Other 2012 Lincoln Shield Cent issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Lincoln Shield Cent | 3,132,000,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2012-D Lincoln Shield Cent | 2,883,200,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2012-S Lincoln Shield Cent Proof | 1,237,415 | 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.