1982-D 1C Zinc Small Date, RD MS68RD 认证号21314172, PCGS号146036

Designer: Victor David Brenner/Frank Gasparro Content: Copper-Plated Zinc Weight: 2.50 grams Diameter: 19.00 millimeters Edge: Plain Production Strikes: 6,012,979,368 (Includes all varieties) General Type Description: The need for a replacement composition for the cent was recognized as early as in 1973, when the mint struck off various 1974-D dated cents in various metals. Though the crisis at the time subsided with a drop in copper prices, the specter of the cent’s demise was never far away. A 1976 study by the Research Triangle Institute revealed that the traditional bronze cent (technically brass since 1962) was indeed doomed at some time in the not-too-distant future, due to the high cost of copper. This study recommended the elimination of the 1-cent denomination all together as being valueless for any utility, the mint’s mindset was directed towards a replacement metal… The final specifications for the new copper plated zinc cents were determined and contacts for the new zinc planchets were awarded in 1981, and by late 1981 the Philadelphia and Denver mints began production of the last bronze business strike one cent coin ever to be minted for regular circulation – the 1982 and 1982-D Bronze Large Cent variation. The first zinc plated coins ever to be produced for regular circulation were struck at the West Point Depository in January 1982, and were of the same working hub and thus of the Zinc Large Date variety. Although the mint’s introduction of a new obverse master hub around mid-1982 is unclear, as the mint is known to be very cautious about creating anything collectable that would take coins out of circulation – the new obverse hub was in lower relief and with a slightly smaller bore, as well as sharper lettering on a small date. Production of the first small date bronze cent and first zinc plated small date cent started in September 1982 at the Philadelphia mint, but the small date bronze cent was never minted at the Denver mint, which minted only bronze plated zinc small date cents… Although mintages are high on all varieties coined, higher-grade specimens are extremely rare due to problems with the bronze plating process and the massive amount of coins struck per die. (Source: Lange, David. “The Complete Guide to Lincoln Cents”) Exemplar Notes: A superb Gem of the “Small Date” variety acquired 5/2015 from Jaime Haletky; one of only a dozen so graded with none graded higher (as of 5/2015).

Jaime Hernandez

In 1982 the U.S. Mint struck 7 different varieties for the Lincoln Cent. Four of the varieties were struck out of mostly copper alloy and weigh 3.11 grams. The remaining 3 varieties struck out of mostly zinc alloy weighing 2.5 grams each. 

Most examples of the 1982-D Zinc Small Date that came in rolls and bags come in really nice MS64 condition and higher. Examples in MS67 are scarce. In MS68 they are very scarce with less than a few dozen known and none being finer.