1993 Penny Coin Value: How Much Is It Worth?

Despite being the US Mint’s lowest denomination, the Lincoln cent is a coin of exceptional historical significance. It is the first piece with the American President’s image, while the Lincoln Memorial penny is the first with a human figure on both sides.

Collectors find these coins fun and collectible, although they mainly focus on pieces from an earlier period. However, specimens minted in recent years also have their place in collections. The mint mark and condition, including visible traces of wear and damage, significantly influence the 1993 penny value.

1993 Penny value Chart
Condition	1993 No Mint mark cent	1993 D cent	1993 S cent
MS 65	$0.33	$0.33	/
PR 65	/	/	$7.18

1993 Penny Value Guides

Lincoln pennies are coins with a long history, and they changed their appearance and metal content several times during that period. The exciting thing about the Memorial penny that sets it apart from other American coinage is that it has the President’s image on both sides. It is the same with 12,114,750,363 coins struck in 1993.

1993 No Mint mark Penny Value

Lincoln cents minted at the Philadelphia mint never borne the mint mark. You can use this deficiency when coming across one of 5,684,705,000 minted to distinguish it from 1993 cents struck in other mints.

Thanks to such a high mintage, the 1993 Lincoln cent is plentiful on the coin market. Additionally, most specimens were in circulation, so their value doesn’t exceed the face value. Uncirculated pieces can reach a slightly higher value, around 30 cents.

1993 Lincoln Penny value
Condition	1993 No mint mark red Penny	1993 D red Penny
MS 60	$0.1	$0.1
MS 61	$0.12	$0.12
MS 62	$0.15	$0.15
MS 63	$0.2	$0.2
MS 64	$0.3	$0.3
MS 65	$0.4	$0.4
MS 66	$2	$3
MS 67	$7	$8
MS 68	$65	$50
MS 69	/	$2,000

Pennies from 1993 can reach much more significant amounts at auctions. For instance, one collector bought the red-colored 1993 MS 69 Memorial cent for a whopping $3,375 on eBay.

On the other hand, the brown 1993 MS 69 cent reached not more than $128 on eBay in 2021. The lowest record certainly belongs to a red-brown specimen, graded MS 66, which was sold in 2019 for a modest $23.

1993 D Penny Value

The Denver mint had the highest penny mintage in 1993. You can see the D mark on as many as 6,426,650,571 coins, and many are still in circulation today.

Such a high circulation significantly impacts these coins’ value, so specimens in an average condition are worth only one cent. Since that is their face value, it might be best to keep using your pennies instead of adding them to your collection.

The value of pieces in the mint state is usually higher. You can sell them for about 33 cents, while auction prices are significantly different. For instance, the current record holder is the red 1993 D MS 69 that reached $4,600 at an auction in 2010. It is an exceptional price for a penny.

On the other hand, one collector paid $100 for the red-brown 1993 D MS 63 Lincoln cent on eBay in 2018. Just three years later, another collector bought the brown specimen with an MS 66 rating for just eight dollars at the same place.

1993 S proof Penny Value

The US Mint often produces special coins, well-known as proofs, intended for collectors. These coins are struck twice on a specially polished planchet with high reflection, resulting in coins of exceptional quality with clear design details.

The San Francisco mint only minted 3,394,792 proofs in 1993 without producing regular Memorial cents that year. They have been mostly sold in sets, and you can still find them on the coin market.

1993 Lincoln Penny value (proof)
Condition	1993 S red DCAM cent
PR 60	$0.5
PR 61	$0.5
PR 62	$0.5
PR 63	$0.5
PR 64	$0.5
PR 65	$0.5
PR 66	$1
PR 67	$2
PR 68	$3
PR 69	$4

In addition to sets on the coin market, you can also find individual proofs from 1993. Their value is affordable and ranges between five cents and four dollars, depending on the reflection and the coin’s preservation.

Naturally, different prices await you at auctions. So far, the most pricey is the 1993 S PRO Lincoln cent sold for $650 at an auction in 2004.

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1993 Penny Errors

The US Mint makes significant efforts to perfect and modernize the coinage process. Despite this, errors may still occur occasionally. Sometimes the imperfections are so minor that they are negligible, so you need specific equipment to confirm their presence.

On the other hand, pieces with noticeable imperfections rarely leave the mint. You can assume that certain collectors are only interested in such specimens. Because of this, pennies with significant errors can be worth tens of thousands of dollars.

1993 Penny Doubled die

Striking the die into the planchet two or three times creates an error known as a doubled die. It is also one of the most frequent errors made during minting.

Although some doubled die pennies’ value can be even thousands of dollars, there are no such specimens among the coins from 1993. Most of these pieces have a vague, barely visible doubling, and their value varies between 20 and 50 dollars.

1993 Penny Off-center

Part of the design is missing when the coin is incorrectly centered and improperly struck. Some errors are almost negligible, as only 1% to 2% of the design is absent. Others can be so large that the error percentage is up to 90%.

Most 1993 Lincoln cents have an off-center deviation of only 3% to 5%, and their value almost never exceeds their face value. You can expect more money when the percentage is between 10% and 25% since those specimens cost from $15 to $30.

The most valuable are pieces with a 50% offset from the center, while the date and mint mark are visible. The rare 1993 cents can net you between $50 and $100.

1993 Penny Die crack

Old and worn dies often end up with cracks that leave raised lines on the coin surface during minting. These cracks can appear anywhere and are often associated with parts of the design.

In Lincoln pennies, this error type often appears as a line between the letters B and E on the inscription LIBERTY and resembles the letter I. Even though pieces minted in 1993 with a BIE error are challenging to find, their value is between $3 and $10.

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History of the 1993 Penny

In honor of President Abraham Lincoln’s 100th birthday in 1909, Victor Brenner designed a coin with the obverse depicting a portrait of this famous American President. It was the first coin to have a person on the obverse, as all before contained:

• Anonymous Native Americans
• Symbolic figures like Lady Liberty

Until 1909, it was considered improper to have real people on the coin, but the public was happy to celebrate Lincoln. This coin got the name Wheat penny because of two wheat stalks depicted on the reverse.

Designer Victor Brenner made a mistake by adding too big initials, making the public angry. It forced the US Mint to remove them, making previous coins collectible. In 1918, officials brought all three letters back on the obverse, but they were significantly smaller this time.

The coin reverse changed multiple times until 1959. That year, Franc Gasparro designed the Memorial penny commemorating Lincoln’s 150th birthday and the 50th anniversary of the Lincoln Wheat penny.

1993 Lincoln Penny
Location	Year	Minted
Philadelphia	1993 No Mint mark cent	5,684,705,000
Denver	1993 D cent	6,426,650,571
San Francisco	1993 S proof cent	3,394,792
Total	/	12,114,750,363

 Interestingly, Gasparro designed the reverse with the Lincoln statue inside the building. That made these cents the first American coins to have the same person on both the reverse and the obverse.

Memorial cents are among the most recognizable American coinage nowadays, although their minting was finished in 2008. Most are still in circulation, including those from the earliest minting years, because the law forbids their melting.

In 2009, the coin design changed again when the US Mint came up with four different reverse types. They honored the 16th President’s 200th birthday by representing four critical stages in his life.

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How to identify 1993 Penny?

From the very beginning of production to these days, Lincoln pennies have changed their composition and reverse several times. However, one thing was constant. With all these changes in appearance, President Lincoln’s profile was always on the obverse.

The obverse of the 1993 Penny

Lincoln’s profile dominates this coin’s obverse, like in all other pennies from this series ever minted. The recognizable profile is turned to the right, with the minting year and the mint mark in front of it.

In addition to the former President’s profile, you can also find inscriptions on the obverse. Along the top rim is the phrase IN GOD WE TRUST, while the word LIBERTY is on the left side.

The reverse of the 1993 Penny

The Lincoln Memorial is the most prominent reverse motif on the reverse. That imposing building in the Ancient Greece style with twelve Doric columns occupies the central part of the design. You can see Lincoln’s silhouette between the central pillars, while an elegant staircase is in front of the entrance to the building.

Above the Memorial, you can read the inscriptions E PLURIBUS UNUM and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The coin’s denomination, ONE CENT, extends along the bottom rim.

1993 Lincoln Pennt
Face value	1 cent ($0.01)
Compound	97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper
Shape	Round
Coin diameter	0.75 inches (19.05 mm)
Coin thickness	0.05984 inches (1.52 mm)
Coin weight	0.08818 ounces (2.5 g)
Edge	Plain

Other features of the 1993 Penny

The composition of pennies from 1993 includes 97.5% zinc and a low percentage of copper. This coin is round in shape with a plain edge, while its weight is 0.08818 ounces (2.5 g). Coin thickness of 0.05983 inches (1.52 mm) and a diameter of 0.75 inches (19.05 mm) are common for post-1982 pennies.

What makes the 1993 Penny rare?

Lincoln cents produced in 1993 are common because of the high minting of over 12 billion. Plus, these specimens came without any special features that distinguish them from other Memorial pennies.

Which 1993 Penny is most valuable?

• The 1993 D MS 69 RD Lincoln cent was purchased for $4,600 in 2010
• The 1993 MS 69 RD Lincoln cent was purchased for $3,375 in 2022
• The 1993 S PRO Lincoln cent was purchased for $650 in 2004
• The 1993 MS 69 BN Lincoln cent was purchased for $128 in 2021
• The 1993 D MS 63 RB Lincoln cent was purchased for $100 in 2018
• The 1993 MS 66 RB Lincoln cent was purchased for $23 in 2019
• The 1993 D MS 66 BN Lincoln cent was purchased for $8 in 2022

Is 1993 No Mint mark Penny valuable?

With nearly six billion Lincoln pennies minted at the Philadelphia mint that year, these specimens’ value is low. As these pieces are plentiful on the coin market, circulated ones are usually worth their face value. Uncirculated pennies are slightly more expensive, and you can buy them for 33 cents.

What are the most pricey Lincoln Penny?

Considering Lincoln pennies are less than 115 years old, it is realistic to expect a high value of individual coins. The pieces minted in the early 1940s were among the most expensive specimens. So far, the best paid was the 1943 D MS Lincoln cent since one collector bought it for $840,000 at an auction.

As for Memorial Lincoln cents, the most pricey is the one struck in 1999 in Philadelphia. Its current value is an impressive $138,000.

The highest price among errors holds the 1969 S DDO penny with an auction record of $126,500. Finally, the most valuable cent with the D mint mark is the one produced in 1959. One collector paid $48,300 for it in 2003.