The 1990 “No S” Proof Lincoln Cent (Buy on eBay) is one of several occurrences when a proof coin was struck at the San Francisco Mint without the “S” mint mark. Generally, only a small number of such mistakes are produced and released, resulting in large premiums for discovered examples.
The coin was created when the Philadelphia Mint sent a business strike die without a mint mark to the San Francisco Mint rather than a proof die. The die was treated and prepared as a proof die and placed into production. These proof coins would be packaged into the 1990 Proof Sets and 1990 Prestige Proof Sets where they were discovered by collectors.
Based on expected die life, it has long been estimated that approximately 3,500 of the 1990 “No S” Proof Lincoln Cents were produced. However, the number of specimens identified remains far below this level, leading to speculation that the actual number released may have been significantly lower.
Coin Specifications
- Designer: Victor D. Brenner (obverse), Frank Gasparro (reverse)
- Composition: Zinc Coated with Copper
- Weight: 2.5 grams
- Diameter: 19 mm
- Edge: Plain
