Lincoln Shield Cent
The classic Lincoln portrait facing right with IN GOD WE TRUST, LIBERTY, and the date — unchanged since 1909. A union shield with thirteen vertical stripes, E PLURIBUS UNUM across the top, and a scroll reading ONE CENT draped across the middle.
Composition
Key dates to look for
2017-P Shield Cent
Face value worn; $1 – $5 in crisp uncirculated conditionThe only cent ever struck with a P mint mark — a one-year-only keepsake
2010 Shield Cent
Face value worn; $1 – $3 uncirculatedFirst year of the shield design — worth setting aside a nice example
Error types found on this series
Doubled Die (Obverse)
The front design shows a second, shifted image because the die itself was made doubled.
Die Crack
A crack in the die fills with metal during the strike, leaving a thin raised line on the coin.
Die Cud
A piece of the die broke off at the rim, leaving a raised featureless blob attached to the coin's edge.
Off-Center Strike
The blank wasn't centered when struck, so part of the design is missing and part of the coin is blank.
Broadstrike
The coin was struck without its retaining collar, so it spread out wider and thinner than normal.
Grease-Filled Die (Struck Through Grease)
Grease and debris packed into the die's recesses blocked part of the design, leaving weak or missing details.
Machine Doubling
The die bounced or chattered at the moment of striking, smearing a flat shelf-like second edge onto the design.
Strike-Through
A foreign object — cloth, wire, grease, or a metal fragment — was on the blank when it was struck, leaving its impression in the coin.
Real photos where available (credits); others are illustrations.