1955-S 1C, BN MS65BN Certification #42124877, PCGS #2831

Charles Morgan

The 1955-S Lincoln Cent

Due to the pending (and ultimately temporary) shutdown of the San Francisco Mint, the 1955-S Lincoln Cent (#2831) became one of the most aggressively hoarded issues in American numismatic history. Despite the fervor surrounding their release, the production quality often fell short of preceding years. Collectors should expect to find coins with "mushy" strikes, particularly on the reverse wheat stalks and the peripheral lettering. While full Mint State Red examples remain plentiful, many survivors have matured over the decades into a muted, cognac-colored patina.

Vintage Market Snippets

The secondary market for 1955-S rolls and bags was famously volatile during the mid-century "roll craze":

• January 1965: Dealer Bob Creps advertised uncirculated rolls for $31 in Numismatic Scrapbook Magazine. In the same issue, bulk dealer Ray Kotansky offered full BU bags (5,000 coins) for $3,575.
• July 1974: Nearly a decade later, the price had softened, with SilverTowne offering BU rolls for $22 each, reflecting the cooling of the initial hoarding speculative bubble.

Modern Market Snippets

The census for the 1955-S Lincoln Cent in PCGS MS68RD remained at a solitary specimen for decades. However, two additional pieces submitted in late 2025 met the grading room’s unforgiving standards, bringing the total population to three. One resides in the historic Dell Loy Hansen Collection, while the other was acquired by the "Grand Cru" collector as an upgrade over their previous MS67+RD example.

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