US Coins

West Point Mint striking Lincoln cents for sets

By Paul Gilkes

Published: Feb 25, 2019, 11 AM

The West Point Mint is striking Lincoln cents for the first time in more than four decades.

West Point Mint photo by Coin World Senior Editor Paul Gilkes.

The West Point Mint is striking 2019-W Lincoln cents in three finishes for inclusion in separate packaging as premiums for three annual numismatic coin sets.

T.V. Johnson, the director of the U.S. Mint's Office of Corporate Communications, confirmed Feb. 25 to Coin World that a standard Proof version will be included separately “in clear United States Mint plastic wrap” with the standard 2019 Proof set to be issued for $27.95 on March 1. The remaining 10 coins in the set will be enclosed, five coins each, in two individual hard-plastic coin lenses. Those 10 coins will be struck in Proof at the San Francisco Mint.

The standard Proof sets coins exhibit frosted devices against mirrored fields.

Inside Coin World: Mint mark key to identifying counterfeit: A fake 1913-S Buffalo nickel, foreign coins pulled from Roosevelt dime rolls and 1873 Seated Liberty half dollars are column topics in the March 11, 2019, issue of Coin World.

The Silver Proof set, to be issued April 24, will be accompanied by, in separate packaging, as a premium, an 11th coin, a special Reverse Proof 2019-W Lincoln cent. In contrast with the standard Proof finish, Reverse Proof coins exhibit mirrored designs elements against frosted fields.

The remaining 10 main coins in the Silver Proof set are San Francisco Mint strikes, with the Roosevelt, dime, five America the Beautiful quarter dollars and Kennedy half dollar struck in .999 fine silver instead of the previous 90 percent silver, 10 percent copper composition.

The 20-coin Uncirculated Mint set, which includes 10 coins each from the Denver and Philadelphia Mints, will have as its premium, as the 21st coin in the set, a 2019-W Lincoln cent with Uncirculated finish.

Pricing for the Silver Proof set and Uncirculated Mint set with premiums has not been announced.

Johnson said the Mint is in the process of photographing examples of the three West Point cents, but no images were available for release as of Feb. 25.

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