Site FAQ

CopperCoins is a reference site for Lincoln cent die attribution. We publish a searchable catalog of attributed dies, stage photographs, cross references to other numbering systems, and collector articles. The site is built for researchers, attributors, and collectors who want documented die pairs—not opinions without evidence.

Die attribution is the process of identifying which obverse and reverse dies struck a particular coin. On CopperCoins, each cataloged die has a unique die number, stage images, and written identification points. Attribution is specialized numismatic research; our catalog is a shared reference, not a substitute for your own examination of a coin.

The catalog is maintained by CopperCoins staff and experienced attributors. New dies, stage updates, merges, and corrections are recorded in the public Die Changes log so you can see when the reference changed and why.

No reference is perfect. We work from photographs, published research, and peer review inside the attribution community. Cross references to other guides are provided as a result of our research but are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you believe a listing is wrong, contact staff with your evidence.

Please credit CopperCoins.com and include the die number (for example, 1969-S 1C 1DO-001). Do not crop out watermarks or reuse catalog photographs without permission. See our Terms of Use for copyright rules.

No. Guests can search the catalog, browse the Date Guide, and view basic die information in list or grid results. Creating a free account lets you sign in, save profile information, and use member tools as they become available.

Free members currently have the same catalog browse access as guests. Paid members can open full die stage detail pages with captioned identification images, use My Collection and Set Registry, and read member-only library articles and videos. Feature access may expand over time—check My Coppercoins or ask staff for the current list.

The current introductory first-year rate is $29.95. Renewals for the second and later years are $34.95/year. Pricing may change without notice; the rate in effect at renewal is what is charged. We send two email reminders (about 14 days and 7 days) before each automatic renewal. See the Membership & billing section of the Terms of Use for cancel rules (cancel once per paid year, no refunds, access through the end of the paid period).

Click Join in the header to create an account, then pay on the membership page with card or PayPal. Keep your profile email current so the two renewal reminders reach you. To stop next year’s charge, open your Profile and choose Cancel renewal (once per membership year). Details: Membership terms.

My Coppercoins is your signed-in home for saved searches, collection tracking, registry sets, and membership notices. Paid members will find the full toolset there; free members may see previews or upgrade prompts for paid-only areas.

Open Search from the main menu. You can filter by year range, mint, die type, design variety, and other catalog fields. Entering an exact die number jumps straight to that die's detail page when it exists in the catalog.

The Date Guide is a year-by-year entry into the same catalog as Search. Pick a year to see how many dies are recorded for each mint and die type, then drill into search results for that year. It is useful when you know the date and mint but not the die number yet.

Die type codes describe which side of the coin and which hub generation is cataloged—for example, obverse vs. reverse and major hub changes within a year. Definitions for collector terms also appear in the Glossary. The Date Guide groups dies by these codes within each year.

List view shows more text per die—helpful for scanning attributions and notes. Grid view emphasizes the primary coin image for visual comparison across many dies. Switch views on the search results page; your choice is remembered while you browse.

Full stage detail pages—with captioned identification images for each wear stage—are a paid member feature. Guests and free members still see catalog search results with a summary image and basic fields. Upgrade to paid membership to access stage pages.

A die number uniquely identifies one die in our system—for example 1972 1C 1DO-005 (year, denomination, die type, and index). The number is assigned when a die is accepted into the published catalog. Reserved or unassigned slots are not public listings.

A stage is a documented state of the same physical die—often labeled A, B, C, and so on as new photographs are added or wear progresses. Stages are not separate die numbers; they are image sets under one die. Identification points are written in captions on each stage image.

Cross references link a CopperCoins die to numbers used in other attribution guides or researcher systems. They help you compare catalogs. Xrefs are researched by our staff but are not guaranteed—always verify against the source guide and the coin in hand.

The Die Changes page is a permanent audit trail: merges of duplicate numbers, tombstones, releases of reserved numbers, and other catalog corrections. Entries are never deleted or rewritten after publication so you can trust the history.

Each die shows representative coin photographs organized by stage. Paid members see full-size captioned images for each identification checkpoint. Guests may see a primary thumbnail in search results. Images remain the property of CopperCoins; see Terms of Use before reuse.

Some dies include an approximate value guide by grade. These figures are guides only—they are not offers to buy or sell at those prices. Market conditions change; use the disclaimer linked in the site footer for full wording.

Not without written permission. All images on CopperCoins are owned by coppercoins.com and may not be reproduced for auctions, social posts, or third-party guides without approval. Report suspected image theft using the footer link or email staff.

Sign in, then open your profile from the account menu in the header. Update your name, email, or password there. If you cannot sign in, use account recovery or contact staff from the email address on your membership.

Email staff@coppercoins.com for attribution questions, account problems, copyright requests, and catalog corrections. Please include die numbers, photographs, or screen shots when reporting a catalog issue so we can research efficiently.