1914 1C, RB PR65RB Certification #21458452, PCGS #3319

Charles Morgan

The 1914 Lincoln Cent Matte Proof

The 1914 Lincoln cent Matte Proof (PCGS BN #3318) was struck periodically throughout the year, with monthly emissions reported in January, April, July, October, November, and December. The Mint's quality control was relatively strong across most of the year, with the notable exceptions of the April and October production runs. This monthly delivery schedule closely mirrored the production cycle of the 1914 Matte Proof Buffalo nickels, though the first delivery of those nickels did not take place until February 7.

Die Diagnostics

One die pair was used to strike the entire mintage. The obverse die is observed in two distinct states: in the early die state, the die is perfect, but in the later state, a patch of crisscrossing scratches appears below the chin and date.

The reverse die is the same one used to strike all Lincoln Cent Matte Proofs since 1910; the 1914 issue marked the final deployment of this die. A scratch at the bottom of the "M" in UNUM can be seen on all 1910–1914 Proofs.

Collecting the 1914 Lincoln Cent Matte Proof

The 1914 is one of only a handful of Lincoln Matte Proof issues that can be acquired in elite gem condition, with the finest known examples standing as monumental conditional rarities. While all Lincoln Matte Proofs are scarce to rare compared to modern issues, within the context of the series, the 1914, along with the 1910 (BN #3306) ranks among the more available dates. The Mint struck 1,365 examples of the 1914, and while a significant portion of the mintage has since been graded by PCGS, the vast majority of survivors possess the Red Brown or Brown designations, leaving fully Red examples exceedingly rare.

Despite their low mintages, the 1914 and its fellow Matte Proof counterparts remain an enigma to most collectors. Although the Lincoln Cent is one of the most popularly collected U.S. coin types, the brief production run of Matte Proofs, their textured matte finish, and high prices have kept the series from capturing the widespread cultural cachet enjoyed by business-strike keys like the 1909-S V.D.B. and the 1914-D. While advanced specialists appreciate their true scarcity, this historically significant subset richly deserves broader recognition from the wider collecting community.

Vintage Market Snippet

William Pukall, a pioneering mail-order coin dealer based in Union City, New Jersey, began ordering roll quantities of uncirculated and Proof coins directly from the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco Mints starting in 1914. Decades later, in the mid-1950s, an aging Pukall became a major inventory supplier for a young Q. David Bowers, selling him hundreds of pristine Matte Proof Lincoln cents still wrapped in their original Mint tissue paper. Remarkably, Pukall’s early hoarding habits also included entire roll quantities of the ultra-key 1916 Standing Liberty Quarter (Base #5704). Because Pukall bypassed contemporary distributors to secure his massive holdings directly from the U.S. Mint, his stock provided the market with some of the finest-known early 20th-century minor coins and proofs.

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