Last 2009 Cents the Scarce Ones

January 13, 2010

The 2009 Lincoln cents just got scarcer. The mintage numbers for the fourth design, which marks the Lincoln presidency, have come in far below the totals for the first three.

Only 129.6 million of the Philadelphia Presidency coins were struck. Denver had a higher total at 198 million, but because it did not crack the 200 million mark, it will be perceived as scarcer than it perhaps really is.

In calendar year 2009 only 1.106 billion Philadelphia cents were produced. For Denver, the total was a larger 1.248 billion.

Breakdown of the other totals are:

Birth P: 284.4 million

Formative Years P: 376 million

Professional Life P 316 million

Birth D: 350.4 million

Formative Years D: 363.6 million

Professional Life D: 336 million

What do these numbers mean? Well, they might suggest that anyone who wants to get examples of all the coins should acquire them through the 2009 mint set just to be on the safe side.

It would appear from these numbers that there are not enough to go around for the banking system in normal times.

Since these are not normal times, the likelihood is all of these coins will be scarfed up by promotion houses and hobbyists who encounter them and few will be left to circulate