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1921 Lincoln Cent Date Guide

Morgan dollar returns briefly

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1921 overview Mintage, history, and notes for this year's cents

Philadelphia (MS)

Photo Credit: Cotgreave Collection

(click images above to see larger view)

Mintage
39,157,000
Mintage Ranking for Type
(93 of 140)

San Francisco (MS)

Photo Credit: Cotgreave Collection

(click images above to see larger view)

Mintage
15,274,000
Mintage Ranking for Type
(115 of 140)

1921 in history

1921 in history
  • The Mint struck Morgan silver dollars again in 1921 before replacing them with the Peace dollar later that year.
  • The Peace dollar, honoring the end of World War I, entered production in December with Anthony de Francisci's design.
  • President Harding called for disarmament and a return to normalcy after the war years.
  • A recession hit the United States in 1921 as wartime demand faded and factories adjusted.
  • Adolf Hitler became chairman of the National Socialist German Workers' Party in Munich.
  • The Tulsa Race Massacre in Oklahoma destroyed a prosperous Black community in May.
  • The Irish Free State was created after a treaty ending much of the war of independence with Britain.
  • Albert Einstein won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the photoelectric effect.

1921 Lincoln cent year notes

Collector notes for 1921 Lincoln cents are being prepared.

Images/Mintage Mint issues and coin images for 1921

Philadelphia (MS)

Photo Credit: Cotgreave Collection

(click images above to see larger view)

Mintage
39,157,000
Mintage Ranking for Type
(93 of 140)

San Francisco (MS)

Photo Credit: Cotgreave Collection

(click images above to see larger view)

Mintage
15,274,000
Mintage Ranking for Type
(115 of 140)
1921 in history What else was happening that year
1921 in history
  • The Mint struck Morgan silver dollars again in 1921 before replacing them with the Peace dollar later that year.
  • The Peace dollar, honoring the end of World War I, entered production in December with Anthony de Francisci's design.
  • President Harding called for disarmament and a return to normalcy after the war years.
  • A recession hit the United States in 1921 as wartime demand faded and factories adjusted.
  • Adolf Hitler became chairman of the National Socialist German Workers' Party in Munich.
  • The Tulsa Race Massacre in Oklahoma destroyed a prosperous Black community in May.
  • The Irish Free State was created after a treaty ending much of the war of independence with Britain.
  • Albert Einstein won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the photoelectric effect.
1921 cent notes Collector notes for this year's Lincoln cents

Collector notes for 1921 Lincoln cents are being prepared.

Key Dates & Errors Key dates, valuable errors, and genuine vs fake guidance for 1921

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

Design types Obverse and reverse engravings in use for 1921

Obverse design types (ODT)

Reverse design types (RDT)

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 1921 Lincoln cents
  • Small-S mint mark
    Small-S — 1917–1921 · business · 1923–1931 · business · 1935–1941 · business

See the mint mark types reference.

Typical values Series price guide for regular-issue 1921 cents

1921 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
1921-P BN 0.60 0.75 1.10 5.10 11 13 19.75
1921-P RB
1921-P RD
1921-S BN 2.10 3.30 4.55 11 40.50 42 56
1921-S RB
1921-S RD
Issue G4 VG8 F12 VF20 EF40 EF45 AU50
1921-P BN 0.60 0.75 1.10 5.10 11 13 19.75
1921-P RB
1921-P RD
1921-S BN 2.10 3.30 4.55 11 40.50 42 56
1921-S RB
1921-S RD
Articles and videos Related reading and watching for 1921

Videos related to 1921 Lincoln cents

Did You Know #002 - The Pittman Act and Lincoln Cents
Die varieties in the catalog Attributed 1921 dies by mint and variety type

Our attribution catalog for 1921—doubled dies, repunched mint marks, and related varieties documented by die number. This is specialist research beyond regular issue Lincoln cents.

Search all 1921 dies Variety value guide for 1921

Catalogued dies for 1921

CopperCoins has not catalogued die varieties for 1921 yet.

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