1992 Close AM Lincoln Cent

What it is

In 1992 a few business-strike cents were struck with the reverse design meant for later years, on which the A and M in AMERICA nearly touch. Regular 1992 cents have a clear gap between the letters.

How to identify it

1. Look at AMERICA on the reverse: on this variety the bases of A and M almost touch.
2. Check that the designer initials FG sit close to the building.
3. It can be found on both Philadelphia and Denver cents.

A 5x to 10x loupe and good, angled light make the details much easier to see. For anything that looks genuine, a digital scale and a certified comparison coin help.

What gets mistaken for it

The opposite variety, the Wide AM, appears on 1998, 1999 and 2000 cents. Wear can make letters look closer than they are, so compare with a known regular coin.

The regular 1992 coin

The variety appears on the 1992 Lincoln Memorial Cent, which had a total mintage of 4,648,905,000. That figure counts the whole issue, so it does not tell you how many coins show the variety.

Why the A and M moved

For years the Lincoln Memorial reverse on circulating cents had a wide gap between the A and M of AMERICA. In 1993 the Mint introduced a new reverse hub for business strikes on which the two letters almost touch, while proof cents kept the wider spacing. The 1992 Close AM exists because a few dies made with the new style reverse were put into use a year early, so these 1992 cents carry the reverse of the following year.

Because the change was small and the coins look ordinary, the early use went unnoticed for years. The variety was only recognized long after 1992 cents had circulated, when collectors began studying the AM spacing on cents from the 1990s.

How to check a 1992 cent

Turn the coin to the reverse and use a 5x or 10x loupe with a light directly above. Look at the bottoms of the A and M in AMERICA. On a Close AM coin the foot of the A and the foot of the M nearly touch; on a normal 1992 cent there is a clear gap. Then look at the FG initials to the lower right of the Memorial.

Check the date and mint mark on the obverse last. The Philadelphia coin is a major rarity and the 1992-D Close AM, though scarce, has been found more often.

Mistakes collectors make

A dent between the letters can squeeze them together and heavy wear can make the gap look smaller than it is. Look for crisp letter edges. Compare the coin with a cent dated 1993 or later, which shows the Close AM spacing you are looking for. Then compare it with a 1992 cent that has the normal spacing.

Another common mistake is checking a proof coin. 1992-S proof cents use the wide reverse and are not part of this variety. Make sure you are looking at a business strike with ordinary, non-mirrored surfaces.

How to search efficiently

Sort 1992 cents from rolls and flip them all to the reverse. You only need to check one word, AMERICA, on each coin. Put aside any coin where the A and M look close and check it again with a 10x loupe and the FG test. Searching 1992-D cents is the more realistic route, since the Denver variety turns up more often.

Grades and preservation

Because the variety went unnoticed for years, most examples were found in circulation or among cents put away by roll collectors. Uncirculated coins with original red color are the most desirable, but any genuine example is a significant find. Store a candidate in an inert holder, since zinc cents can spot or corrode quickly.

Attribution

Both coins are listed in the Fivaz-Stanton system in the 900 range used for design varieties and PCGS and NGC certify them as Close AM. Request variety attribution when you submit, or the coin will come back as an ordinary 1992 cent.

The other AM varieties

The Close AM has a mirror image in the Wide AM cents of 1998, 1999 and 2000, struck with the proof reverse. Proofs of 1998-S and 1999-S were also struck with the Close AM business reverse by mistake. Together these coins form a small set of AM varieties that can all be checked with the same technique.

Frequently asked questions