1956 Lincoln Cent Date Guide

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1956 overview Mintage, history, and notes for this year's cents

Philadelphia (MS)

Photo Credit: Cotgreave Collection

(click images above to see larger view)

Mintage: 420,745,000
Mintage Ranking for Type: (16 of 140)

Denver (MS)

Photo Credit: Cotgreave Collection

(click images above to see larger view)

Mintage: 1,098,201,100
Mintage Ranking for Type: (2 of 140)

Philadelphia (PR)

Mintage: 669,384
Mintage Ranking for Type: (3 of 26)

1956 in history

Lincoln wheat cents paid tolls and parking meters as the Federal-Aid Highway Act launched the interstate system.
President Eisenhower signed the highway bill, shaping suburban commuting and long-distance travel for decades.
The Suez Crisis saw Britain, France, and Israel clash with Egypt over the canal.
The Hungarian uprising against Soviet rule was crushed by Warsaw Pact tanks.
Elvis Presley appeared on national television, bringing rock and roll to mainstream audiences.
The IBM 305 RAMAC introduced the first commercial hard disk drive for computers.
Morocco and Tunisia gained independence from France.
The Federal Highway Administration began planning numbered interstate routes across every state.

1956 Lincoln cent year notes

Images/Mintage Mint issues and coin images for 1956

Philadelphia (MS)

Photo Credit: Cotgreave Collection

(click images above to see larger view)

Mintage: 420,745,000
Mintage Ranking for Type: (16 of 140)

Denver (MS)

Photo Credit: Cotgreave Collection

(click images above to see larger view)

Mintage: 1,098,201,100
Mintage Ranking for Type: (2 of 140)

Philadelphia (PR)

Mintage: 669,384
Mintage Ranking for Type: (3 of 26)

1956 in history What else was happening that year

Lincoln wheat cents paid tolls and parking meters as the Federal-Aid Highway Act launched the interstate system.
President Eisenhower signed the highway bill, shaping suburban commuting and long-distance travel for decades.
The Suez Crisis saw Britain, France, and Israel clash with Egypt over the canal.
The Hungarian uprising against Soviet rule was crushed by Warsaw Pact tanks.
Elvis Presley appeared on national television, bringing rock and roll to mainstream audiences.
The IBM 305 RAMAC introduced the first commercial hard disk drive for computers.
Morocco and Tunisia gained independence from France.
The Federal Highway Administration began planning numbered interstate routes across every state.

1956 cent notes Collector notes for this year's Lincoln cents

Design types Obverse and reverse engravings in use for 1956

Obverse design types (ODT)

Large liberty obverse — ODT12 · 1956

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 1956 Lincoln cents

Curved Post-D — 1953–1962 · business

See the mint mark types reference.

Typical values Series price guide for regular-issue 1956 cents

1956 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	AU50
1956-P BN	0.05	0.05	0.05	0.05	0.10	0.10
1956-P RB
1956-P RD
1956-D BN	0.05	0.05	0.05	0.05	0.10	0.10
1956-D RB
1956-D RD

Issue	AU53	AU55	AU58	MS60	MS61	MS62
1956-P BN	0.15	0.15	0.15	0.35	0.40	0.65
1956-P RB
1956-P RD				3	4	5
1956-D BN	0.15	0.15	0.15	0.35	0.40	0.65
1956-D RB
1956-D RD				3	3.50	4.50

Issue	MS63	MS64	MS65	MS66	MS67	MS68
1956-P BN	0.75	1.15	5.75	9.40
1956-P RB	2.30	4.05	8.05	20
1956-P RD	7.65	12.50	21	35.50	620	30,000
1956-D BN	0.80	1.45	4.05	11.25
1956-D RB	2.30	4.05	7.50	12.50	69
1956-D RD	5.50	7.80	13.75	22	250

Issue	G4	VG8	F12	VF20	EF40	AU50
1956-P BN	0.05	0.05	0.05	0.05	0.10	0.10
1956-P RB
1956-P RD
1956-D BN	0.05	0.05	0.05	0.05	0.10	0.10
1956-D RB
1956-D RD

Issue	AU53	AU55	AU58	MS60	MS61	MS62
1956-P BN	0.15	0.15	0.15	0.35	0.40	0.65
1956-P RB
1956-P RD				3	4	5
1956-D BN	0.15	0.15	0.15	0.35	0.40	0.65
1956-D RB
1956-D RD				3	3.50	4.50

Issue	MS63	MS64	MS65	MS66	MS67	MS68
1956-P BN	0.75	1.15	5.75	9.40
1956-P RB	2.30	4.05	8.05	20
1956-P RD	7.65	12.50	21	35.50	620	30,000
1956-D BN	0.80	1.45	4.05	11.25
1956-D RB	2.30	4.05	7.50	12.50	69
1956-D RD	5.50	7.80	13.75	22	250

Proof

Issue	PR60	PR61	PR62	PR63
1956-P BN	0.60			1
1956-P RB	1.60	2.40	2.65	2.65
1956-P RD	1		4.20	3.55
1956-P CAM				8.75
1956-P DCAM

Issue	PR64	PR65	PR66
1956-P BN	1.25	2	3
1956-P RB	3.25	6.15	10.50
1956-P RD	5	9	18.75
1956-P CAM	15	30	42.50
1956-P DCAM	26.25	75	265

Issue	PR67	PR68	PR69
1956-P BN	15
1956-P RB	22	32.50
1956-P RD	32.50	62.50	200
1956-P CAM	150	400	970
1956-P DCAM	780	4,500	5,700

Issue	PR60	PR61	PR62	PR63
1956-P BN	0.60			1
1956-P RB	1.60	2.40	2.65	2.65
1956-P RD	1		4.20	3.55
1956-P CAM				8.75
1956-P DCAM

Issue	PR64	PR65	PR66
1956-P BN	1.25	2	3
1956-P RB	3.25	6.15	10.50
1956-P RD	5	9	18.75
1956-P CAM	15	30	42.50
1956-P DCAM	26.25	75	265

Issue	PR67	PR68	PR69
1956-P BN	15
1956-P RB	22	32.50
1956-P RD	32.50	62.50	200
1956-P CAM	150	400	970
1956-P DCAM	780	4,500	5,700

Die varieties in the catalog Attributed 1956 dies by mint and variety type

Our attribution catalog for 1956—doubled dies, repunched mint marks, and related varieties documented by die number. This is specialist research beyond regular issue Lincoln cents.

Search all 1956 dies Variety value guide for 1956

Catalogued dies for 1956

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

Mint	DO	DR	MM	OM	Total
Philadelphia (P)	8	6	N/A	0	14
Denver (D)	48	0	85	2	135
All mints	56	6	85	2	149

OMM listings for this year

1956D•1OM•001

D & S Northwest

MMT: D-MMT06 - Curved Post-D

ODT: ODT12 - Large liberty obverse

RDT: RDT01 - Wheat reverse

This variety shows a weak punching of an S mintmark betwen the 1 and 9 of the date. All major attributors, except CONECA, recognize this as a valid misplaced S mintmark. CONECA delisted this variety from CPG 6.2.

Cross references

WEXLER: WDMM-001
FIVAZ/STANTON: FS-511
CRAWFORD: CDMM-001

F12

VF20

EF40

AU50

UNC

ChBU

GemBU

10.00

15.50

20.00

25.00

55.00

75.00

100.00

1956D•1OM•002

D/D/D NE and Tilted (Was D/S)

MMT: D-MMT06 - Curved Post-D

ODT: ODT12 - Large liberty obverse

RDT: RDT01 - Wheat reverse

This variety is known by some sources as an OMM, and was previously listed by coppercoins as such. New evidence has surfaced that proves this an RPM, thus listings have changed and placed this die as 1956D-1MM-012.

Cross references