Rare Deep Cameo Proof 1957 Lincoln Cent at GreatCollections

GreatCollections is offering collectors an opportunity to bid on a beautiful 1957 Proof Lincoln cent graded as PR67 RD DCAM by PCGS. With only two examples of a higher grade, this rarity would make a great addition to any collection of Proof Lincoln cents. Collectors should be aware that bidding on this high-grade Proof coin ends Sunday, September 4, 2022, 4:54:36 PM Pacific Time (7:54 PM Eastern).

At the time of publication, the lot already has 45 bids, with the highest standing at $6,250 USD and with 24 days remaining.

While this 1957 Deep Cameo Proof Lincoln cent represents the penultimate year of the Wheat Cent reverse, it was also the first year that the United States Mint struck a mintage of over one million Proof cents. With a mintage of 1,247,952–nearly twice that of 1956–the standard 1957 Proof Lincoln cent is easy to find.

Cameo pieces are more difficult to acquire, with 400 to 450 examples known to survive.

However, in Deep Cameo, they are exceedingly rare. In fact, it is estimated that the DCAM issuance of 1957 was less than 1% of the total Proof mintage that year. Today, it is estimated that 35 to 40 true Deep Cameo examples remain. This seems to be a pretty standard phenomenon for the Proof Lincoln cents of the 1950s.

The mintage of these Proof coins was tied to the demand for the annual Proof Mint Sets. There was a total of 1,247,952 sets sold, of which 87,462 were through mail order and the rest via approved vendors. Each set was packaged in flat packs of cellophane, with every coin in its own slot – with the sixth slot containing a foil seal of the Philadelphia Mint. The sealed coins were then placed in a paper mailing envelope. Since the total mintage of Proof coins in 1957 was so large, supply quickly outstripped the demand for Mint Sets.

This lot is part of the well-known and award-winning Red Copper Collection. As one of the most comprehensive registry sets of Proof Lincoln cents, this collection took nearly 50 years to assemble. As the finest set of Proof Lincoln cents ever assembled, it is comprised of 97 high-grade coins, all of which are going on display at this year’s ANA’s World Fair of Money in Chicago from August 16 to 20. They will be exhibited at table 1105.

This particular coin is fully lustrous, with the mirrored fields making the devices pop. As a stunning Deep Cameo, there are no marks to distract from the coin’s eye appeal. With only two examples graded higher, and since this coin has never appeared at auction, this is an extremely rare opportunity for interested collectors of high-end Proof Lincoln cents to acquire a spectacular piece!

Design

Designer Victor David Brenner’s portrait of the beloved former president Abraham Lincoln depicts the president from the shoulder up. Lincoln is dressed in a period suit and is wearing a bow tie. Brenner’s initials “V.D.B.” appear in Lincoln’s shoulder truncation. 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 1957 appears slightly lower, in front of Lincoln’s portrait, on the coin’s right side. There is no mint mark.

Brenner’s “Wheat Cent” 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 of the 1957 Lincoln cent is smooth or plain.

Bidding ends on Sunday, September 4, 2022, 4:54 PM Pacific Time (7:54 PM Eastern).

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