1972 Lincoln Memorial Cent (one cent coin) issued by the United States Mint

The Lincoln Memorial Cent was introduced in 1959 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth, replacing the wheat ears reverse design that had been used since 1909. The coin features the Lincoln Memorial building on the reverse, designed by Frank Gasparro, and continued Victor David Brenner's portrait of Lincoln on the obverse. This design remained in circulation until 2008, making it one of the longest-running coin designs in U.S. history. Lincoln cents from the 1970s are widely collected by numismatists and coin enthusiasts who appreciate American coinage history. These coins represent an accessible entry point for beginning collectors and are valued for their historical significance in everyday American commerce. Collectors often seek examples in uncirculated condition or those with mint errors, as circulated examples like this one are extremely common and hold primarily face value unless they possess rare characteristics.