As part of their current auction of the Edgemont Collection of Lincoln cents, GreatCollections is offering collectors the exciting opportunity to win a 1914-S Lincoln cent graded as MS 65 RD by PCGS with a CAC certification. Nearly 25 years ago this high-grade, semi-key date piece was placed in a 3.1 gen OGH holder. Bidding on this coin ends Sunday, July 17, 2022, 4:14:34 PM Pacific Time (7:14 PM Eastern). This conditional rarity is much more than a simple placeholder and would make a fine addition to any US coin type collection.
At the time of publication, the highest of 37 bids stands at $3,400 USD and has 17 days remaining.
With a mintage of only 4,137,000 pieces, minuscule compared to the 1914 Philadelphia Mint issuance of 75,237,067 pieces, the 1914-S is a scarce coin in every grade and a conditional rarity in all Mint States. PCGS CoinFacts estimates that there fewer than 2,000 surviving examples with no examples known in better than MS 66. Of these, a majority are highly circulated and many display some level of corrosion or environmental damage.
Though NGC has graded 1,076 examples and PCGS 2264 in all grades and color designations, both services have only certified a total of 58 coins as MS 65 RD or MS 65 +, and only four as MS 66 RD. It is important to note that these numbers do not account for resubmissions, and the true population figures are undoubtedly lower. While the auction record for the type (an MS 66 in August 2006) is $105,800, MS 65s reliably bring between $5,000 to $6,000.
The current example has an extremely strong and defined obverse strike, but it does display some weakness on the reverse strike in the “PLURIBIS · U” of “E · PLURIBIS · UNUM” and on the “O” in “ONE”. While this is characteristic of the early Lincoln cents, it is not a major issue on this particular piece. It clearly does, however, deserve the RED color designation, as the coin is fully lustrous and exhibits a delightful copper gleam.
When graded, this coin was placed in a single-piece, stackable 3.1 generation Old Green Holder, often designated as “OGH” for short. While all third-generation holders used between 1993 and 1998 are much more common than the earlier second-generation OGHs or first-generation Rattlers, they still carry a small premium over more recent, modern holders. The distinguishing features between a 3 and a 3.1 gen OGH are the slightly different obverse font and the “© PCGS COPYING PROHIBITED” notice on the label’s reverse.
Design
On the obverse, sculptor Victor David Brenner’s portrait of Abraham Lincoln depicts the 16th president from the shoulder up. Lincoln is dressed in a period suit and is wearing a bow tie. At the top of the design, wrapping around the rim is the motto “IN GOD WE TRUST”. “LIBERTY” appears behind Lincoln’s neck, on the left side of the coin. The date appears slightly lower, in front of Lincoln’s portrait, on the coin’s right side. The mint mark “S” is below the date (1914).
On the reverse, two sheaths of wheat wrap around the right and the left side of the coin. At the top of the design, the motto “E · PLURIBUS · UNUM” wraps around the rim. ONE CENT is inscribed in large letters, sans serif, the bottom arm of the E extends beyond the arm at the top. The middle arm is recessed. Beneath, in the same font but in smaller type, is the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
The edge is smooth or plain, as it is for all Lincoln cents.
Bidding ends on Sunday, July 17, 2022, at 4:14:34 PM Pacific Time (7:14 Eastern).
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