1996 Penny Value – From the 1990s to the earliest of the 2000s, the United States Government issued a special decree on the mintage of dying from the Lincoln penny. A lot of mixed-up on the mintage of the older 1990s Lincoln penny, with proof, die used on the reverse side of the coin, the errors regarding the distance of AM in ‘AMERICA’, and the errors of FG initials.
So, why the 1996 penny value could be increased then?
To understand more about the value, and worth of the 1996 Lincoln penny, the 1996 penny value in the eye of collectors, you would need to know and understand the metal compositions behind the Lincoln pennies, and the specification of the 1996 Lincoln penny.
If you want to collect the early 1990s Lincoln pennies, and want to know how to distinguish the worthy Lincoln pennies, and why some of them are rarer and more expensive than the other, then you have come to the right place.
First of all, you need to know about the 1996 Lincoln penny compositions and specifications, before understanding the real value behind it.
Composition and Specifications Of The 1996 Lincoln Penny
The 1996 penny is the Lincoln memorial penny. The 1996 penny value was initially just $0.01, to be used as pennies changes. The Lincoln Memorial penny was one of the most used pennies decades ago, very common, and can be found anywhere.
There is nothing special with this penny, compared with more sophisticated collectible coins, such as the Bahamas Sovereign coins.
One thing you should know is that the 1990s Lincoln penny was minted around 99% made of Zinc or Alloy. Before the 1940s, the Lincoln penny was made of 95% copper.
However, around the 1940s, the US government change the regulations regarding the penny composition, mostly because of the rising prices of copper used in pennies, therefore the price of producing one penny soared higher than the actual copper used.
To understand better the 1996 penny value, let’s delve deeper into its specifications, series, and type. Here are the specifications of the 1996 Lincoln memorial penny:
- Type: Lincoln Memorial Penny
- Year minted: 1996
- Initial face value: $0.01
- Total weight: 2.5 Grams
- Metal composition: 99.2% Zinc and Alloy, 0.8% Copper
- Varieties: Lincoln 1996 Memorial Penny, 1996 Lincoln D Penny, 1996 Lincoln S penny
On the observed side of the Lincoln pennies, featuring the bust of President Abraham Lincoln, and on the reverse side, you can see the famous Lincoln Memorial museum building.
With the inscriptions “IN GOD WE TRUST”, and also the “LIBERTY” and the date inscriptions. If there is any mark, it can be found on the inscriptions under the date.
On the reverse side, you will see the Lincoln Memorial, with the inscriptions of “The United States of America”, along with the catchphrase “E-PLURIBUS UNUM”.
These words were minted, in the exact size, meaning that any errors that you see like the lower case, or close and wide initials are actually mintage errors that can mean that it was error pennies.
In the year 1996, the US minted the 1996 penny value with no mint mark; this was the 1996 Lincoln pennies that were minted in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia varieties have become the most common of the entire 1996 Lincoln penny.
Most of the 1996 Lincoln pennies aren’t that much valuable. These pennies could sell at least for around the same $0.01, and perhaps some rarer, premium good grade could be worth around $1 to $5.
However, some of the premium uncirculated conditions could increase its value exponentially, and even rarer, more pristine conditions of the coins would increase the 1996 penny value more than you think.
To understand better all the different values of the 1996 Lincoln penny, you need to understand the differences between each variety, and why some of them can be worth more than others.
Each different variety has different marks on them, and also different rarities, making their value also different from each other, you need to understand each value, and variety if you want to start collecting 1996 error pennies.
Varieties Of The 1996 Lincoln Memorial Penny
In 1996, US Government minted three varieties of the Lincoln memorial penny. It has three varieties: the 1996 penny no mint mark, the 1996 D Lincoln pennies, and the 1996 S Lincoln penny. The notable differences between these three varieties are the mint mark on them, the D mint mark, and the S mint mark.
If there is a mint mark, it can be found under the date of the coins, on the observed side of the coins.
The first variety is the Lincoln 1996 Penny. It was the most commonly minted of the 1996 Lincoln penny, minted in Philadelphia, with the total quantity minted around 6.612.450.000.
The 1996 Lincoln penny has no mint mark on it, and it is quite common pennies.
The standard coins have been around in circulation for decades. It was one of the most common pennies, 1996 no mint mark penny value of around $0.3.
The other variety is the 1996 D Lincoln penny, it was also one of the most common pennies in circulations, with a total amount minted of 6.510.800.000, minted in Denver, hence the D initials as the mint mark.
How much is a 1996 d penny worth? It is also one of the most common and circulated coins in history, so it won’t value much, but the uncirculated grade of the 1996 D Lincoln penny could be worth around $5 to $15.
The next variety is the 1996 S-proof penny. It was one of the proof penny, minted for the collectors.
Most of the S-proof penny were not in circulation and only be sold to collectors, hence a lot of uncirculated conditions penny can be quite valuable. The total S proof penny minted in existence was 2.520.265, and it was minted in San Francisco.
1996 Lincoln Penny Error List
When hunting for rare Lincoln pennies, you might stumble upon rare pennies that have certain errors. This 1996 penny error was considered one of the key factors in collecting the coins and set itself differently from just any of the coins.
The coin itself was worth it only if the grade is good, meaning the condition is as pristine as it was first minted, and whenever there are valuable error pennies.
Some of these errors weren’t intentionally minted on the surface of the coins. Some might be the error of mintage, caused by mixed up in early 1990. These are called valuable error pennies and are worth around $15 to $20.
Other errors that were caused by environmental damage instead won’t be worth a lot, and in fact, environmental damage will just make the cost cheaper.
So, here are a few of the error pennies that you can find on the 1996 Lincoln penny, and help determine, and raise the 1996 penny value:
1996 Close AM Penny
Close AM penny is the penny that has the initials of the AM in “AMERICA” very close by, and closer as it is supposed to be. The Close AM errors can be inspected through a magnifying glass, however, some keen observers might recognize the Close AM penny at first glance without the need for magnifying glasses.
It is worth around $15 to $20 if it is at least fine or under uncirculated conditions.
1996 FG Initials Penny
The same with the FG initials, it was close, or wide initials of FG on the reverse side of the coins, The FG initials will need to look at the magnifying glass however to see it thoroughly.
See Also: 1997 Penny Value, 1994 Penny Value, 1999 Penny Value, 1990 Penny Value, 1980 Penny Value
1996 Double Die Penny
The double-die penny is one of the reasons why some 1996 penny is worth money. During 1996, a lot of mixed-up happens, causing the mintage to a mint lot of double die penny that is still currently in circulation today. Some uncirculated grades could even reach more than $50 to $100.
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding The 1996 Lincoln Pennies
When you started your old coins collection and wanted to get your hand on the 1990s Lincoln penny, then one of the good pieces to start your collection is the 1996 Lincoln penny. However, you might be wondering many questions regarding it, from how to know the value of the 1996 Lincoln penny, how much it is worth it, and how to find a valuable piece of the 1996 Lincoln penny.
Here are a few frequently asked questions regarding the 1996 Lincoln pennies, and some valuable pieces you can collect.
How Much Is A 1996 Penny Worth
The 1996 Lincoln penny is generally worth around the same face value of $0.01, however, some of the rarer error pennies like the 1996 penny close a value more than its initial face value of around $10. Some 1996 penny error values can increase around $10 to even $20.
Generally, how much you can get from the old Lincoln pennies is based on the grading, rarities, and conditions.
Grading can be measured by the local coin grading to know the exact conditions, and rarities of your coin, This, in turn, will let you know about how much the 1996 penny value you have, and also know how much it would be appreciated in the eye of collectors.
How Much Is A 1996 D Close Am Penny Worth And Error Pennies Value?
During the 1900s to 2000s, many notable error pennies have been mixed up in circulations, such as the close AM initials penny, the FG initials penny, the double die penny, and so on. 1996 penny close am is one of the notable initial pence that has been around for years, and it is also quite valuable for around $10 to $20, 1996 penny no mint mark value if close AM would be around $25 to $30.
The 1996 D close AM penny is worth around $5 to $15 if it is just a good grade, however, if the grade is higher, too fine, or even under uncirculated conditions, the price can increase exponentially to even reach around $50 to $75.
Refer to our 1996 d Penny error list to know more about how many error pennies like the D Close AM penny, and other valuable error pennies from the 1996 year.
How To Find The Rare 1996 Lincoln Penny
It isn’t easy to find the 1996 penny worth money that you can find. Well, you can’t expect to sell any pennies you find as spare changes, or under your rugs to be worth more than one pennies right?
If you want some really valuable pennies, then you have to look harder, at local coin dealers, buy them online in the coin dealers, and might want to visit the old coins antique auction.
Looking for More Information About Coins? Check Other Years From This Lincoln Coin Series:
1959 1960 1961 1962
1963 1964 1965 1966
1967 1968 1969 1970
1971 1972 1973 1974
1975 1976 1977 1978
1979 1980 1981 1982
1983 1984 1985 1986
1987 1988 1989 1990
1991 1992 1993 1994
1995 1996 1997 1998
1999 2000 2001 2002
2003 2004 2005 2006
2007 2008 2009
How To Know Which Coins Are Valuable
If you want to know which coins are valuable, and worth money, you need to go to the local coin grading service. There, you can see how much value your coins have, and the 1996 penny value. Local coin grading services can easily distinguish the grades of each coin, the conditions, and the rarities.
The grading was based on official US grading that distinguishes the coins based on their conditions.
To understand more about how coins are defined by their grade, and how much they can be worth money in the local coin grading service, you can also refer to our essentials guide to penny collections.
There you can see how you can find worthy and valuable coins worth your money. Click on the links on our official website to seek our essential guide.
That’s all from our articles regarding the 1996 Lincoln dollar penny. The 1996 Lincoln penny by far isn’t the rarest and the most prestigious coin that has ever been minted in US history.
However, there are also some of the uncirculated grades of 1996 that can give a lot of value. The pristine, 1996 penny value can be varied based on their grades, pristine conditions, and rarities.
Related:
1976 Penny Value
1983 Penny Value
1964 Penny Value