2016 Lincoln Shield Cent
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 4,698,400,000 made
- Mintage
- 4,698,400,000
- 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 2016 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 2016 Lincoln Shield Cent rare?
- No. With 4.7 billion made, it's one of the most common Lincoln Shield Cents.
- Where is the mint mark on a 2016 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 2016 are scarcer?
- The 2011 at 2,402,400,000, the 2012 at 3,132,000,000, the 2019 at 3,542,800,000, plus 7 more. So the 2016 is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 2016 Lincoln Shield Cent coins were made?
- 4,698,400,000.
What to check on your 2016
- 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 2016-S Lincoln Shield Cent Proof (965,033 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 4.7 billion made, the 2016 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 2016
At 4,698,400,000, the 2016 run at Philadelphia was close to the 2015 figure. The next year it made 4.4 billion (2017-P).
2016-D came to 4.4 billion, so neither mint's 2016 coin is much scarcer than the other.
Of the 16 Lincoln Shield Cents Philadelphia struck between 2010 and 2025, none was made in bigger numbers. The scarcest Philadelphia issue is the 2025 at 655,200,000. No Lincoln Shield Cent of the 2010s had a bigger run.
Peak production and the 2017-P (2014 to 2017)
Shield cent production reached its highest levels in 2015 and 2016, with about 9 billion coins each year from Philadelphia and Denver combined. The cent's cost to produce stayed above face value, which renewed debate in Congress over ending it, though no change was made during this era.
For the 225th anniversary of the Philadelphia Mint, every 2017 cent from Philadelphia carries a P mint mark below the date, the first time a circulating cent has shown it. That makes 2017-P a distinctive date that is still easy to find in change. Many people set them aside. Also in 2017, the San Francisco Mint struck an Enhanced Uncirculated cent for a special 225th anniversary set. Uncirculated coins from these years are plentiful, though fully red examples without spots or plating flaws are prized.
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 | 2016 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 4,698,400,000 |
| 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 2016 Lincoln Shield Cent issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 Lincoln Shield Cent | 4,698,400,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2016-D Lincoln Shield Cent | 4,420,400,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2016-S Lincoln Shield Cent Proof | 965,033 | 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.