This article covers a MS 67+ Red 1911 Lincoln cent.
The Lincoln cent was first struck in 1909 and Proof examples with a velvety, matte finish were struck for sale to collectors from 1909 to 1916. Like the aforementioned 1949 cent, the 1911 Lincoln cent is common in nearly all grades and a mintage of over 100 million ensures a sufficient supply for collectors.
Survivors with a red color designation — used by PCGS to identify copper coins with more than 95 percent of their original Mint red color — are scarce.
PCGS has graded 222 1911 Lincoln cents in MS-65 red, and some sold for $350 to $450 in recent auctions. Just 132 are in MS-66 red (an exceptional example sold for $1,380 at the Goldbergs’ recent September pre-Long Beach auction) and 14 are graded MS-67 red by PCGS. One of these sold for $5,280 at Heritage in March.
Collectors seeking the finest known examples for a PCGS Registry Set must battle for one of two known MS-67+ red examples, and GreatCollections sold one of these for $15,243.75 on Sept. 30. PCGS lists one graded MS-68 red that has no auction records in its Population Report.