1962 D Lincoln Penny

Notes: 3.2 million proofs issued and they are worth around $1.75 each, and they are nice an shiny. While the 1962 D and P (no mint mark) Pennies are not extremely coveted in higher MS-65 conditions and above they are commonly valued at $15-$30 if certified. As with all pennies minted in the United States RD (red) is the most sought after color, with RB, and then BN being last.

1962 Penny Basic Facts

Minted at both the Denver (D), and Philadelphia (no mint mark).

Small and Large Date mint marks are circulating, be sure to collect them all.

Production Numbers

• 606 million - 1962 Pennies
• 1.79 billion - 1962 D Pennies

Copper Penny Color Guide

Are 1962 Pennies Copper?

Yes, Pennies minted in 1962 are indeed copper, with the mint making the big change to zinc mid year in 1982.

Are there any 1962 Penny Errors?

Yes there are a few to look out for and they are...

• Struck on 10c Planchet - 1962 penny was struck on a 10c silver dime planchet from that year by mistake.
• Re-struck on Dime - Like the error above but not on a 10c planchet, instead on an actual fully created dime.
• Struck on Philippine Centavos Planchet Struck on the planchet that is supposed to be used instead for a Philippine centavo.
• Double Struck / Rotated When a penny is re-struck and it has also been rotated. You can see in the example provided that the letter and number combo 1962 D is present 2x.
• Off Center Strike A very common error across all years and denominations. Off center strikes occur when a die hits the intended planchet off center.
• Struck Through Both a common struck through and struck through what appears to be a staple included as examples. When a foreign object is sandwiched between the die and its intended target the planchet, a struck through error occurs. In the example of the staple above the object was actually embedded into the copper penny/planchet.

Mintages

How much is a 1962 D Lincoln Penny worth?

In Average Circulated (AC) condition it's worth around 25 cents, one in certified mint state (MS+) condition could bring as much as $32 at auction. This price does not reference any standard coin grading scale. So when we say Average Circulated, we mean in a similar condition to other coins circulated in 1962, and mint state meaning it is certified MS+ by one of the top coin grading companies. *** [?].

What are your coins really worth?

Use the handy-dandy calculator below to find the real value of any lincoln penny in your collection.

Specs & Design

This coin has a total mass of 2.5 g, a diameter of 19.05 mm, and a thickness of 1.52 mm. It's edge is Smooth, and the coins are composed of 95% Copper Pre 1982, 97.5% Zinc, 2.5% Copper after 1982.

Designer: Victor D. Brenner (obv), Lyndall Bass (rev)

Front (Obverse): The obverse or front of this coin contains the bust of President Lincoln the 16th president of the United States. The words In God We Trust are engraved in an arching manner on the top most portion of this coin. The date is present along with the mint mark. If the mark is missing the coin was issued from the Philadelphia mint. With the exception of 2017 P, the only year to contain a P mint mark to honor the 225th anniversary of the United States Mint.

Back (Reverse): The reverse of this coin has been described as Lincoln Memorial design. Nice clean lines on the steps and buildings are important for a decent grade. The Lincoln Memorial replaced the reverse after the last Wheat Cent was issued in 1958.