1915 Lincoln Cent Date Guide

Wartime economy and steady cent output

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1915 overview Mintage, history, and notes for this year's cents

Philadelphia (MS)

Photo Credit: Cotgreave Collection

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Mintage: 29,092,120
Mintage Ranking for Type: (101 of 140)

Denver (MS)

Photo Credit: Cotgreave Collection

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Mintage: 22,050,000
Mintage Ranking for Type: (110 of 140)

San Francisco (MS)

Photo Credit: Cotgreave Collection

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Mintage: 4,833,000
Mintage Ranking for Type: (130 of 140)

Philadelphia (PR)

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Mintage: 1,050
Mintage Ranking for Type: (25 of 26)

1915 in history

U.S. Mint facilities struck Lincoln cents in large numbers while gold and silver coins still circulated alongside paper money.
A German U-boat sank the British liner Lusitania on May 7, killing 128 Americans and shifting U.S. public opinion.
D. W. Griffith's film The Birth of a Nation premiered, drawing both huge audiences and protests over its racism.
Albert Einstein published his general theory of relativity, reshaping modern physics.
The U.S. Marines occupied Haiti, beginning a long American presence there.
Alexander Graham Bell placed the first transcontinental telephone call from New York to San Francisco.
Italy joined the Allies and opened a new front against Austria-Hungary.
The Ford Motor Company announced an eight-hour workday and a five-dollar daily wage.

1915 Lincoln cent year notes

Save for a couple of minor repunched 1915-D mintmarks, 1915 proved to be another uneventful year for die varieties. This year's cents are usually of average quality and strike and are generally just plain boring.

A report came in last year that an experiment with a slightly different alloy was tested in 1915. The report states that the experiment did not work out well and was discontinued that year, but not before a number of these coins reportedly made it into circulation. This is supposed to answer for a number of striped color planchets, but I have never seen anything to confirm this report other than a "wood grain" look, which by all appearances is the same as the "wood grain" look of earlier cents.

Once again, since satin proofs were minted this year, watch for the possibility of being offered one as a normal business strike cent.

Images/Mintage Mint issues and coin images for 1915

Philadelphia (MS)

Photo Credit: Cotgreave Collection

(click images above to see larger view)

Mintage: 29,092,120
Mintage Ranking for Type: (101 of 140)

Denver (MS)

Photo Credit: Cotgreave Collection

(click images above to see larger view)

Mintage: 22,050,000
Mintage Ranking for Type: (110 of 140)

San Francisco (MS)

Photo Credit: Cotgreave Collection

(click images above to see larger view)

Mintage: 4,833,000
Mintage Ranking for Type: (130 of 140)

Philadelphia (PR)

(click images above to see larger view)

Mintage: 1,050
Mintage Ranking for Type: (25 of 26)

1915 in history What else was happening that year

U.S. Mint facilities struck Lincoln cents in large numbers while gold and silver coins still circulated alongside paper money.
A German U-boat sank the British liner Lusitania on May 7, killing 128 Americans and shifting U.S. public opinion.
D. W. Griffith's film The Birth of a Nation premiered, drawing both huge audiences and protests over its racism.
Albert Einstein published his general theory of relativity, reshaping modern physics.
The U.S. Marines occupied Haiti, beginning a long American presence there.
Alexander Graham Bell placed the first transcontinental telephone call from New York to San Francisco.
Italy joined the Allies and opened a new front against Austria-Hungary.
The Ford Motor Company announced an eight-hour workday and a five-dollar daily wage.

1915 cent notes Collector notes for this year's Lincoln cents

Once again, since satin proofs were minted this year, watch for the possibility of being offered one as a normal business strike cent.

Key Dates & Errors Key dates, valuable errors, and genuine vs fake guidance for 1915

1915-P Semi-key date

Semi-key Philadelphia wheat cent; lower mintage relative to neighboring years.

Research for this issue is in progress. Check back as diagnostics and photos are added.

Open the 1915-P (semi-key date) information page.

See the list of all key dates and errors in Lincoln cents

Design types Obverse and reverse engravings in use for 1915

Obverse design types (ODT)

Strengthened coat details obverse — ODT04 · 1915–1917 · business · 1915–1916

Reverse design types (RDT)

Wheat reverse — RDT01 · 1909–1958

See the design types reference. Design types identify engraved designs; when differing designs create collectible alternatives within a year, see Lincoln cent design varieties.

Mint mark types Punch styles used on 1915 Lincoln cents

Early-D — 1911–1920 · business · 1922 · business · 1924–1933 · business
Early-S — 1909–1916 · business

See the mint mark types reference.

Typical values Series price guide for regular-issue 1915 cents

1915 Lincoln cents from the CopperCoins series price guide (August/September 2026 edition) — approximate values only, not offers to buy or sell. Business strikes show separate BN, RB, and RD lines where priced.

Business strike

Issue	G4	VG8	F12	VF20	EF40	EF45	AU50
1915-P BN	3.60	5.55	8.05	23.25	31	44.25	54
1915-P RB
1915-P RD
1915-D BN	2.15	4.30	6.75	15.75	27.75	31.50	40.50
1915-D RB
1915-D RD
1915-S BN	15.75	20	25	35.25	69.50	77	86
1915-S RB
1915-S RD

Issue	AU53	AU55	AU58	MS60	MS61	MS62
1915-P BN	64	70	74	79.50	94	108
1915-P RB				100	104	114
1915-P RD			125	135	145	150
1915-D BN	47	57.50	61.50	73.50	86.50	106
1915-D RB				86	92	110
1915-D RD				100	120	154
1915-S BN	104	140	177	237	270	380
1915-S RB			275	290	340	390
1915-S RD				400	450	455

Issue	MS63	MS64	MS65	MS66	MS67	MS68
1915-P BN	109	155	236	670
1915-P RB	129	229	435	660
1915-P RD	214	300	720	1,450	7,000	63,400
1915-D BN	119	163	320	560
1915-D RB	155	265	680	1,125	6,600
1915-D RD	285	455	1,050	3,000	37,900
1915-S BN	590	740	1,275	2,675
1915-S RB	790	960	1,900	6,700
1915-S RD	1,000	1,975	6,200	26,000

Issue	G4	VG8	F12	VF20	EF40	EF45	AU50
1915-P BN	3.60	5.55	8.05	23.25	31	44.25	54
1915-P RB
1915-P RD
1915-D BN	2.15	4.30	6.75	15.75	27.75	31.50	40.50
1915-D RB
1915-D RD
1915-S BN	15.75	20	25	35.25	69.50	77	86
1915-S RB
1915-S RD

Issue	AU53	AU55	AU58	MS60	MS61	MS62
1915-P BN	64	70	74	79.50	94	108
1915-P RB				100	104	114
1915-P RD			125	135	145	150
1915-D BN	47	57.50	61.50	73.50	86.50	106
1915-D RB				86	92	110
1915-D RD				100	120	154
1915-S BN	104	140	177	237	270	380
1915-S RB			275	290	340	390
1915-S RD				400	450	455

Issue	MS63	MS64	MS65	MS66	MS67	MS68
1915-P BN	109	155	236	670
1915-P RB	129	229	435	660
1915-P RD	214	300	720	1,450	7,000	63,400
1915-D BN	119	163	320	560
1915-D RB	155	265	680	1,125	6,600
1915-D RD	285	455	1,050	3,000	37,900
1915-S BN	590	740	1,275	2,675
1915-S RB	790	960	1,900	6,700
1915-S RD	1,000	1,975	6,200	26,000

Proof

Issue	PR60	PR61	PR62
1915-P BN	345	300	360
1915-P RB	390	330	450
1915-P RD			670

Issue	PR63	PR64	PR65
1915-P BN	590	1,050	1,625
1915-P RB	730	1,200	2,375
1915-P RD	1,050	1,575	4,000

Issue	PR66	PR67
1915-P BN	2,350	5,100
1915-P RB	3,700	10,600
1915-P RD	8,500	21,600

Issue	PR60	PR61	PR62
1915-P BN	345	300	360
1915-P RB	390	330	450
1915-P RD			670

Issue	PR63	PR64	PR65
1915-P BN	590	1,050	1,625
1915-P RB	730	1,200	2,375
1915-P RD	1,050	1,575	4,000

Issue	PR66	PR67
1915-P BN	2,350	5,100
1915-P RB	3,700	10,600
1915-P RD	8,500	21,600

Die varieties in the catalog Attributed 1915 dies by mint and variety type

Our attribution catalog for 1915—doubled dies, repunched mint marks, and related varieties documented by die number. This is specialist research beyond regular issue Lincoln cents.

Search all 1915 dies Variety value guide for 1915

Catalogued dies for 1915

Number of assigned dies in the CopperCoins catalog, by mint and variety type. Click a count to search that group.

Mint	DO	MM	Total
Denver (D)	1	2	3
All mints	1	2	3

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