1953 Lincoln Cent Date Guide
Post-Korea prosperity in change
1953 overview
Philadelphia (MS)
Photo Credit: Cotgreave Collection
(click images above to see larger view)
- Mintage
- 256,755,000
- Mintage Ranking for Type
- (32 of 140)
Denver (MS)
Photo Credit: Cotgreave Collection
(click images above to see larger view)
- Mintage
- 700,515,000
- Mintage Ranking for Type
- (9 of 140)
San Francisco (MS)
Photo Credit: Cotgreave Collection
(click images above to see larger view)
- Mintage
- 181,835,000
- Mintage Ranking for Type
- (47 of 140)
Philadelphia (PR)
- Mintage
- 128,800
- Mintage Ranking for Type
- (6 of 26)
1953 in history
- Wheat-back Lincoln cents were still the only one-cent design collectors had ever known.
- An armistice ended fighting in Korea in July, though the peninsula remained divided.
- Joseph Stalin died in March; Nikita Khrushchev later emerged as Soviet leader.
- The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was televised to millions in Britain and abroad.
- James Watson and Francis Crick described the double-helix structure of DNA.
- Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Mount Everest in May.
- The Rosenbergs were executed for passing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union.
- The first issue of Playboy magazine was published in Chicago.
1953 Lincoln cent year notes
Mintage was a little higher than 1952 for all three mints combined, but not by much. The gain Philadelphia and San Francisco made was set off by lower mintage by the Denver Mint. The increase in mintage, however, was not enough to answer for the much lower roll prices experienced by this year's cents. GEM uncirculated coins are readily available. However, they will take a modest amount of searching to find. Late die state coins from overused dies are still a problem, especially in Philadelphia and San Francisco minted coins. Because of this, die breaks, die cracks, and other problems associated with extended die life are all problems commonly exhibited this year.
The 1953 proof cent is first in a couple of things. It was the first proof issue of the Lincoln cent series that saw a mintage of more than 100,000. It is also the first issue on which a nice doubled die obverse is known. Very rare and difficult to obtain, this doubled die shows mostly in the date with a very nice spread to the southeast on the 19 and extra thickness on all digits.
While in proofs it would be remiss if I did not mention there are a couple of 1953 proof dies on which someone at the mint decided Mr. Lincoln didn't have enough of a chest, so they re-engraved the vest line by hand, strengthening the line. These are listed as recognized in the Cherrypickers' Guide. Although my opinion is not necessarily fitting, I think we all would heve missed nothing had they not scratched lines into the dies so as to make their personal accomplishments known.
Overall, doubled dies are very scattered this year. With fewer than half a dozen known dies, there is nothing regular between them, and most are rather minor. The aforementioned proof doubled die obverse is definitely the centerpiece of 1953 doubled dies.
Repunched mintmarks are very numerous this year with over 100 different known dies. However, many of these are rather minor and take skill and a pretty good eye to attribute. Even though there are so many different die varieties, there are still some real nice ones for which one should watch. One Denver minted example has the widest spreads of all Lincoln cent RPMs and is quite exciting to find.
Abraded die doubling, especially on the last digit of the date, becomes a problem this year, more so on the Philadelphia minted business strike coins than the branch mints. Although visible on some coins from some earlier years, entire rolls of this "shadow doubling" are not difficult to spot this year. These are caused by extreme die wear and age, and are not true hub doubled dies. Being that they are easy to find and are not doubled dies, they should command little if any premium value, and primarily serve as a conversation piece.
Images/Mintage
Philadelphia (MS)
Photo Credit: Cotgreave Collection
(click images above to see larger view)
- Mintage
- 256,755,000
- Mintage Ranking for Type
- (32 of 140)
Denver (MS)
Photo Credit: Cotgreave Collection
(click images above to see larger view)
- Mintage
- 700,515,000
- Mintage Ranking for Type
- (9 of 140)
San Francisco (MS)
Photo Credit: Cotgreave Collection
(click images above to see larger view)
- Mintage
- 181,835,000
- Mintage Ranking for Type
- (47 of 140)
Philadelphia (PR)
- Mintage
- 128,800
- Mintage Ranking for Type
- (6 of 26)
1953 in history
- Wheat-back Lincoln cents were still the only one-cent design collectors had ever known.
- An armistice ended fighting in Korea in July, though the peninsula remained divided.
- Joseph Stalin died in March; Nikita Khrushchev later emerged as Soviet leader.
- The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was televised to millions in Britain and abroad.
- James Watson and Francis Crick described the double-helix structure of DNA.
- Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Mount Everest in May.
- The Rosenbergs were executed for passing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union.
- The first issue of Playboy magazine was published in Chicago.
1953 cent notes
Mintage was a little higher than 1952 for all three mints combined, but not by much. The gain Philadelphia and San Francisco made was set off by lower mintage by the Denver Mint. The increase in mintage, however, was not enough to answer for the much lower roll prices experienced by this year's cents. GEM uncirculated coins are readily available. However, they will take a modest amount of searching to find. Late die state coins from overused dies are still a problem, especially in Philadelphia and San Francisco minted coins. Because of this, die breaks, die cracks, and other problems associated with extended die life are all problems commonly exhibited this year.
The 1953 proof cent is first in a couple of things. It was the first proof issue of the Lincoln cent series that saw a mintage of more than 100,000. It is also the first issue on which a nice doubled die obverse is known. Very rare and difficult to obtain, this doubled die shows mostly in the date with a very nice spread to the southeast on the 19 and extra thickness on all digits.
While in proofs it would be remiss if I did not mention there are a couple of 1953 proof dies on which someone at the mint decided Mr. Lincoln didn't have enough of a chest, so they re-engraved the vest line by hand, strengthening the line. These are listed as recognized in the Cherrypickers' Guide. Although my opinion is not necessarily fitting, I think we all would heve missed nothing had they not scratched lines into the dies so as to make their personal accomplishments known.
Overall, doubled dies are very scattered this year. With fewer than half a dozen known dies, there is nothing regular between them, and most are rather minor. The aforementioned proof doubled die obverse is definitely the centerpiece of 1953 doubled dies.
Repunched mintmarks are very numerous this year with over 100 different known dies. However, many of these are rather minor and take skill and a pretty good eye to attribute. Even though there are so many different die varieties, there are still some real nice ones for which one should watch. One Denver minted example has the widest spreads of all Lincoln cent RPMs and is quite exciting to find.
Abraded die doubling, especially on the last digit of the date, becomes a problem this year, more so on the Philadelphia minted business strike coins than the branch mints. Although visible on some coins from some earlier years, entire rolls of this "shadow doubling" are not difficult to spot this year. These are caused by extreme die wear and age, and are not true hub doubled dies. Being that they are easy to find and are not doubled dies, they should command little if any premium value, and primarily serve as a conversation piece.
