1910 Lincoln Cent Date Guide

This year presents some very nice and very interesting RPMs, but not much of anything for doubled dies. Both RPMs are quite scarce and command a hefty premium in circulated grades, while the sheer value of a 1910-S cent in uncirculated outweighs much of the premium for an RPM in the same grade.

1910 cents are prone to the "wood grain look," which is just as strong in 1909 cents. The design is usually very strong and very clear. In many cases the fields will have a very slight mottled effect on both sides, and many people mistake them for the matte proof cents. The main difference that is easiest to detect on the matte proof cents is their square, sharp rim. The business strike cents do not have this sharpness.

The S mint cents have been faked, but not nearly as often as with the 1909-S cents. The most common form of fake is a 1940-S cent with a shaved 4, usually done crudely and on higher grade circulated to uncirculated coins. They are easy to spot; the 0 digit on genuine 1910 cents is much larger than on 1940 cents, and the digits of the date are evenly spaced. Faked 1940 cents have a very wide space between the nine and one digits where the diagonal of the four used to be. The entire bust is also higher in relief yet less detailed than on 1910 cents. In addition, the rims are much thinner on 1940 cents than on genuine 1910 cents. These fakes are quite scarce, yet do exist and will catch you by surprise if you are not cognizant of them. See the figures on the next page for comparison.

A less common yet much more dangerous counterfeit is the added mintmark. 1909-S cents are commonly faked in this manner, and the value difference between 1910 plain and 1910-S cents is quite large, especially in higher grades. The faked mintmarks are usually glued on, and a dab of acetone on a cotton swab rolled over the mintmark will usually lift them right off. Examination of the mintmark under a 30 power microscope will usually show the seam between the field and the added mintmark.

A curiosity for thrill seekers is the reported existence of coins that have a shadow of the V.D.B. initials on the lower reverse, where they should be expected on 1909 cents. A number of these have been reported to me for examination, but none of them showed anything more than die scratches or hits on the coin that wore to give the appearance of relief. Photographs of these reported "1910 V.D.B." cents have been published, but none of them show anything definite and convincing. Obviously the jury is still out on this phantom's existence.

Although not nearly as noticed as the design varieties of the 1909 cent, a little known, yet quite valuable design variety is known to exist on this year's coins. The second design from 1909 - the sharp design, is the normal design to have been used on 1910 cents, however the first 1909 design is known to have been used on some carry-over reverses used in making a very limited number of Philadelphia mint business strike cents this year. This anomaly was discovered by the Rabbit Hole Research Group in 2024.

There are a short number of repunched mint marks known for the San Francisco issue this year. Two of these, known as dies 1 and 2, are very strong and are easily visible with modest magnification. They carry a substantial premium value and are known - but quite scarce - in uncirculated grades.

Coins from both mints can be found in GEM red, but as with other years, that red usually has a different hue. The Philadelphia minted cents are generally brighter red with a slight orange cast, and the San Francisco cents are generally more muted in color.