CoinWeek Guide to the 1914-D Lincoln Cent: Mint State Survivors and Counterfeit Checks
On February 16, 2026, CoinWeek published a collector's guide to the 1914-D Lincoln cent, struck at the Denver Mint. The guide covers its mintage of 1,193,000 and the small number of Mint State survivors, checks for spotting counterfeits, selected auction results and the top certified population.
Correction (Oct 13, 2026): We rewrote the headline, summary and body to match the source, removing a mintage figure that differs from the source (about 120 million; the source gives 1,193,000) and unsupported statements on rising prices, a magnet test, a comparison with the San Francisco issue and buying advice. We replaced an unsourced mention of auction sales attributed to "some reports" with the specific auction results the source gives, and added the counterfeit diagnostics and population figures it gives, noting that the source was published on February 16, 2026. The previous headline was "1914-D Lincoln Cent: Why Century-Old Scarcity Commands Premium Valuations and Spawns Counterfeits."
This article is based on a collector's guide, "1914-D Lincoln Cent : A Collector's Guide," published by CoinWeek on February 16, 2026, under the byline CoinWeek Notes.
The 1914-D Lincoln cent was struck in 1914 at the Denver Mint (mintmark "D"). The guide calls it the key date of the early Lincoln Wheat cent series in Mint State. It says collectors have pursued the coin for generations, while counterfeiters have targeted it just as aggressively.
Mintage and survival
The Denver Mint struck 1,193,000 examples. According to the guide, far fewer survive in high grade. Its mintage is larger than that of the 1909-S VDB Lincoln cent, but the guide says census data shows the 1914-D is scarcer in Mint State.
The guide gives these figures:
- Just over 300 examples have been certified as Mint State Red - About 600 examples appear in the combined PCGS and NGC censuses as Mint State Red Brown
The guide also notes that writer Walter Breen once recounted that a New England dealer reportedly held 10 rolls of Mint State coins as late as 1943. It says researchers should treat that anecdote cautiously unless it is independently verified.
Spotting counterfeits
The guide says the 1914-D ranks among the most counterfeited U.S. coins. Counterfeiters often add a "D" mintmark to a 1914 Philadelphia cent, and others alter a 1944-D by reshaping the first "4" into a "1." The guide lists these checks:
- Four mintmark positions are known on genuine examples - One genuine die shows a small die crack running from the rim at the right edge of Lincoln's coat up through the bust - Another genuine die shows a small tool mark curving down from the left serif of the "T" in LIBERTY - All genuine pieces show circular hub marks inside the "9" of the date - The 1914-D mintmark is smaller than the style used after 1931 - The designer's initials "VDB" do not appear on the bust truncation
The guide says professional certification strongly protects collectors in this area.
Selected auction results
Rather than focus on price trends, the guide highlights top-grade certified examples handled by major auction houses. Some of them:
- Heritage Auctions: PCGS MS66 RD, sold in 2016 for $81,075 - Heritage Auctions: PCGS MS66, "The Whispering Pines Collection," January 16, 2025, $66,000 - Stack's Bowers Galleries: PCGS MS66RD, March 19, 2020, $40,800 - Stack's Bowers Galleries: NGC MS66RD, "Larry H. Miller Collection," November 12, 2020, $38,400
Top population (as of August 2025)
According to the guide, the figures at the three major services have not changed since at least November 2024:
- PCGS MS66+RD: 1 - NGC MS66RD: 5 - CAC MS66RD: 1 (0 stickered, 1 graded)
Design and specifications
Victor David Brenner designed both the obverse portrait of Abraham Lincoln and the Wheat reverse. The guide lists the alloy as .950 copper and .050 tin and zinc, a weight of 3.11 g, a diameter of 19.00 mm, a plain edge, and business strike quality.
Source: CoinWeek, "1914-D Lincoln Cent : A Collector's Guide" (February 16, 2026).
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