Lincoln pennies are often the first coins to be collected by novice numismatists, partly because most coins in the series are relatively affordable. Certain Lincoln pennies command premium prices, though, due to their relative rarity. Following is a brief description of some of the rarer issues of the Lincoln penny. Lincoln pennies from 1909 with the San Francisco mintmark (S), and the initials of designer David Victor Brenner in large letters at the base of the reverse side of the coin are highly coveted because less than half a million were originally minted. Close to two million Lincoln pennies were minted in San Francisco in 1909 without the designer's initials, and these are considered relatively rare as well. Another coveted item in the Lincoln penny series is the 1914 penny with the Denver mintmark (D). A little over a million of these were minted, but relatively few have been preserved in top condition. Other Lincoln pennies have value because they represent unusual errors. A particularly valuable Lincoln cent dates from 1955 when the mint in Philadelphia accidentally struck a small number of pennies containing obvious doubling of the dates and inscriptions on the front of the penny. Such errors have occurred several times in the history of the Lincoln cent, most recently in 1995. Another source of rarity stems from changes in the metallic composition of the penny during World War II. Due to wartime shortages of copper, the US Mint was forced to make the Lincoln penny from steel coated with zinc. A very small of number of true bronze Lincoln pennies were issued in 1943. These pennies can be considered quite valuable.
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