1996 Lincoln Cent Date Guide
Atlanta Olympics and cents
1996 overview
Philadelphia (MS)
Photo Credit: Cotgreave Collection
(click images above to see larger view)
- Mintage
- 6,612,465,000
- Mintage Ranking for Type
- (14 of 126)
Denver (MS)
Photo Credit: Cotgreave Collection
(click images above to see larger view)
- Mintage
- 6,510,795,000
- Mintage Ranking for Type
- (15 of 126)
San Francisco (PR)
- Mintage
- 2,525,265
- Mintage Ranking for Type
- (46 of 54)
1996 in history
- Lincoln cents circulated at the Atlanta Summer Olympics, the centennial Games of the modern era.
- A bomb exploded in Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta during the Games, killing two people.
- Bill Clinton won reelection over Bob Dole and Ross Perot.
- Dolly the sheep was cloned in Scotland, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell.
- The Taliban captured Kabul and took control of most of Afghanistan.
- TWA Flight 800 exploded off Long Island; investigators later blamed a fuel tank ignition.
- Google began as a research project at Stanford University.
- The Nintendo 64 home console launched in Japan and later in the United States.
1996 Lincoln cent year notes
Collector notes for 1996 Lincoln cents are being prepared.
Images/Mintage
Philadelphia (MS)
Photo Credit: Cotgreave Collection
(click images above to see larger view)
- Mintage
- 6,612,465,000
- Mintage Ranking for Type
- (14 of 126)
Denver (MS)
Photo Credit: Cotgreave Collection
(click images above to see larger view)
- Mintage
- 6,510,795,000
- Mintage Ranking for Type
- (15 of 126)
San Francisco (PR)
- Mintage
- 2,525,265
- Mintage Ranking for Type
- (46 of 54)
1996 in history
- Lincoln cents circulated at the Atlanta Summer Olympics, the centennial Games of the modern era.
- A bomb exploded in Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta during the Games, killing two people.
- Bill Clinton won reelection over Bob Dole and Ross Perot.
- Dolly the sheep was cloned in Scotland, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell.
- The Taliban captured Kabul and took control of most of Afghanistan.
- TWA Flight 800 exploded off Long Island; investigators later blamed a fuel tank ignition.
- Google began as a research project at Stanford University.
- The Nintendo 64 home console launched in Japan and later in the United States.
1996 cent notes
Collector notes for 1996 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 long serif-D — 1995–1999 · business -
Large proof-S — 1990–1999 · proof
See the mint mark types reference.
Typical values
1996 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-P BN | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0 |
| 1996-P RB | ||||||
| 1996-P RD | ||||||
| 1996-D BN | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0 |
| 1996-D RB | ||||||
| 1996-D RD |
| Issue | AU53 | AU55 | AU58 | MS60 | MS61 | MS62 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-P BN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 |
| 1996-P RB | ||||||
| 1996-P RD | ||||||
| 1996-D BN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 |
| 1996-D RB | ||||||
| 1996-D RD |
| Issue | MS63 | MS64 | MS65 | MS66 | MS67 | MS68 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-P BN | 0.10 | 0.50 | 3 | 5.65 | 10 | |
| 1996-P RB | 0.40 | 1.80 | 5.40 | 7.50 | 13.75 | |
| 1996-P RD | 6 | 7 | 8.30 | 13.25 | 24.75 | 125 |
| 1996-D BN | 0.10 | 0.50 | 3 | 6.25 | 10 | |
| 1996-D RB | 0.40 | 1.80 | 4.20 | 8.15 | 13.75 | 22.50 |
| 1996-D RD | 6 | 7 | 7.95 | 12.50 | 21.50 | 64.50 |
| Issue | G4 | VG8 | F12 | VF20 | EF40 | AU50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-P BN | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0 |
| 1996-P RB | ||||||
| 1996-P RD | ||||||
| 1996-D BN | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0 |
| 1996-D RB | ||||||
| 1996-D RD |
| Issue | AU53 | AU55 | AU58 | MS60 | MS61 | MS62 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-P BN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 |
| 1996-P RB | ||||||
| 1996-P RD | ||||||
| 1996-D BN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 |
| 1996-D RB | ||||||
| 1996-D RD |
| Issue | MS63 | MS64 | MS65 | MS66 | MS67 | MS68 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-P BN | 0.10 | 0.50 | 3 | 5.65 | 10 | |
| 1996-P RB | 0.40 | 1.80 | 5.40 | 7.50 | 13.75 | |
| 1996-P RD | 6 | 7 | 8.30 | 13.25 | 24.75 | 125 |
| 1996-D BN | 0.10 | 0.50 | 3 | 6.25 | 10 | |
| 1996-D RB | 0.40 | 1.80 | 4.20 | 8.15 | 13.75 | 22.50 |
| 1996-D RD | 6 | 7 | 7.95 | 12.50 | 21.50 | 64.50 |
Proof
| Issue | PR60 | PR61 | PR62 | PR63 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-S DCAM | 1.30 | 1.55 | 2 | 2.65 |
| Issue | PR64 | PR65 | PR66 | PR67 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-S DCAM | 3.30 | 6.60 | 9.60 | 12.50 |
| Issue | PR68 | PR69 | PR70 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-S DCAM | 13.75 | 17.50 | 80 |
| Issue | PR60 | PR61 | PR62 | PR63 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-S DCAM | 1.30 | 1.55 | 2 | 2.65 |
| Issue | PR64 | PR65 | PR66 | PR67 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-S DCAM | 3.30 | 6.60 | 9.60 | 12.50 |
| Issue | PR68 | PR69 | PR70 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-S DCAM | 13.75 | 17.50 | 80 |
Die varieties in the catalog
Our attribution catalog for 1996—doubled dies, repunched mint marks, and related varieties documented by die number. This is specialist research beyond regular issue Lincoln cents.
Catalogued dies for 1996
Number of assigned dies in the CopperCoins catalog, by mint and variety type. Click a count to search that group.
