1986 Lincoln Cent Date Guide
Statue of Liberty commemoratives
1986 overview
Philadelphia (MS)
Photo Credit: Cotgreave Collection
(click images above to see larger view)
- Mintage
- 4,491,395,493
- Mintage Ranking for Type
- (48 of 126)
Denver (MS)
Photo Credit: Cotgreave Collection
(click images above to see larger view)
- Mintage
- 4,442,866,698
- Mintage Ranking for Type
- (51 of 126)
West Point (MS)
- Mintage
- 4,491,395,493
- Mintage Ranking for Type
- (48 of 126)
San Francisco (PR)
- Mintage
- 3,010,497
- Mintage Ranking for Type
- (34 of 54)
1986 in history
- The Mint issued Statue of Liberty gold five-dollar pieces, silver dollars, and half dollars for the centennial.
- American Eagle gold and silver bullion coins began, giving collectors and investors new U.S. products.
- The Space Shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after launch on January 28, killing all seven crew members.
- The Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine spread radioactive fallout across Europe.
- The Iran-Contra affair revealed secret U.S. arms sales to Iran and funding for Nicaraguan Contras.
- The Oprah Winfrey Show entered national syndication.
- The Statue of Liberty was rededicated after restoration on July 4.
- The Philippines ended Ferdinand Marcos's rule after the People Power Revolution.
1986 Lincoln cent year notes
Collector notes for 1986 Lincoln cents are being prepared.
Images/Mintage
Philadelphia (MS)
Photo Credit: Cotgreave Collection
(click images above to see larger view)
- Mintage
- 4,491,395,493
- Mintage Ranking for Type
- (48 of 126)
Denver (MS)
Photo Credit: Cotgreave Collection
(click images above to see larger view)
- Mintage
- 4,442,866,698
- Mintage Ranking for Type
- (51 of 126)
West Point (MS)
- Mintage
- 4,491,395,493
- Mintage Ranking for Type
- (48 of 126)
San Francisco (PR)
- Mintage
- 3,010,497
- Mintage Ranking for Type
- (34 of 54)
1986 in history
- The Mint issued Statue of Liberty gold five-dollar pieces, silver dollars, and half dollars for the centennial.
- American Eagle gold and silver bullion coins began, giving collectors and investors new U.S. products.
- The Space Shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after launch on January 28, killing all seven crew members.
- The Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine spread radioactive fallout across Europe.
- The Iran-Contra affair revealed secret U.S. arms sales to Iran and funding for Nicaraguan Contras.
- The Oprah Winfrey Show entered national syndication.
- The Statue of Liberty was rededicated after restoration on July 4.
- The Philippines ended Ferdinand Marcos's rule after the People Power Revolution.
1986 cent notes
Collector notes for 1986 Lincoln cents are being prepared.
Design types
Obverse design types (ODT)
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
-
Large-D — 1985–1987 · business -
Large-bottom S — 1985–1989 · proof
See the mint mark types reference.
Typical values
1986 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-P BN | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0 |
| 1986-P RB | ||||||
| 1986-P RD | ||||||
| 1986-D BN | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0 |
| 1986-D RB | ||||||
| 1986-D RD |
| Issue | AU53 | AU55 | AU58 | MS60 | MS61 | MS62 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-P BN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.10 |
| 1986-P RB | ||||||
| 1986-P RD | ||||||
| 1986-D BN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.10 | 0.15 | 0.15 |
| 1986-D RB | ||||||
| 1986-D RD |
| Issue | MS63 | MS64 | MS65 | MS66 | MS67 | MS68 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-P BN | 0.15 | 0.60 | 3 | 6.90 | 10 | |
| 1986-P RB | 0.40 | 1.75 | 4.80 | 10 | 15 | |
| 1986-P RD | 6 | 5.20 | 8.30 | 16.25 | 38.50 | 160 |
| 1986-D BN | 0.15 | 0.60 | 3 | 5 | 8.75 | |
| 1986-D RB | 0.40 | 2.30 | 3.60 | 7.50 | 16.25 | |
| 1986-D RD | 6 | 4.70 | 7.60 | 14.25 | 30.50 | 76 |
| Issue | G4 | VG8 | F12 | VF20 | EF40 | AU50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-P BN | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0 |
| 1986-P RB | ||||||
| 1986-P RD | ||||||
| 1986-D BN | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0 |
| 1986-D RB | ||||||
| 1986-D RD |
| Issue | AU53 | AU55 | AU58 | MS60 | MS61 | MS62 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-P BN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.10 |
| 1986-P RB | ||||||
| 1986-P RD | ||||||
| 1986-D BN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.10 | 0.15 | 0.15 |
| 1986-D RB | ||||||
| 1986-D RD |
| Issue | MS63 | MS64 | MS65 | MS66 | MS67 | MS68 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-P BN | 0.15 | 0.60 | 3 | 6.90 | 10 | |
| 1986-P RB | 0.40 | 1.75 | 4.80 | 10 | 15 | |
| 1986-P RD | 6 | 5.20 | 8.30 | 16.25 | 38.50 | 160 |
| 1986-D BN | 0.15 | 0.60 | 3 | 5 | 8.75 | |
| 1986-D RB | 0.40 | 2.30 | 3.60 | 7.50 | 16.25 | |
| 1986-D RD | 6 | 4.70 | 7.60 | 14.25 | 30.50 | 76 |
Proof
| Issue | PR60 | PR61 | PR62 | PR63 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-S DCAM | 3.90 | 4.05 | 4.30 | 5.40 |
| Issue | PR64 | PR65 | PR66 | PR67 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-S DCAM | 6 | 7.20 | 9 | 12.50 |
| Issue | PR68 | PR69 | PR70 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-S DCAM | 13.75 | 20 | 150 |
| Issue | PR60 | PR61 | PR62 | PR63 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-S DCAM | 3.90 | 4.05 | 4.30 | 5.40 |
| Issue | PR64 | PR65 | PR66 | PR67 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-S DCAM | 6 | 7.20 | 9 | 12.50 |
| Issue | PR68 | PR69 | PR70 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-S DCAM | 13.75 | 20 | 150 |
Die varieties in the catalog
Our attribution catalog for 1986—doubled dies, repunched mint marks, and related varieties documented by die number. This is specialist research beyond regular issue Lincoln cents.
Catalogued dies for 1986
Number of assigned dies in the CopperCoins catalog, by mint and variety type. Click a count to search that group.
