Philadelphia alone minted more than 100 million in 1909, and in 1941, total single-year output topped one billion for the first time. Matte-proof Lincoln cents were produced in Philadelphia from 1909 through 1916, and brilliant proofs were struck from 1936 through 1942 and again from 1950 through 1964. Brilliant proofs have been made annually since 1968 in San Francisco. Collectors frequently make this the very first series they pursue because of its high visibility and relative affordability, and many stick with it even after graduating from the novice ranks. S-mint issues generally have had the lowest mintages.
Offbeat pieces rank among the most valuable in the series.
This coin came to light only because no cents were minted in Philadelphia in 1922, the only time that s been true in the series. Perhaps the most dramatic, and mostValuable, error of this type occurred on the obverse of small numbers of cents struck in 1955 at Philadelphia. At least a portion of this brass was obtained from salvaged cartridge cases, which did the job nicely. The one-year experiment left a lasting legacy when the Mint inadvertently struck minuscule numbers of 1943 cents in bronze and a slightly greater number of 1944 cents in steel. Both are quite rare and valuable.