Numismatic

1916-S Lincoln Cent XF (Cleaned)

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This 1916 copper one cent piece represents an early chapter in one of America's most enduring coinage series. Struck at the San Francisco mint, the coin bears the 'S' mint mark beneath its date. It has been preserved in Extra Fine condition, though it shows evidence of past cleaning, which alters its surface appearance while keeping its structural details remarkably sharp. The obverse features a profile bust of Abraham Lincoln, facing right. Above his portrait, the motto 'IN GOD WE TRUST' is inscribed, flanked by the word 'LIBERTY' to his left and the year 1916 to his right. This iconic likeness was created by Victor David Brenner. On the reverse, two stylized stalks of wheat frame the central inscriptions, which declare the denomination as 'ONE CENT' and the nation of origin as 'UNITED STATES OF AMERICA'. The traditional motto 'E PLURIBUS UNUM' arches over the top of the design, completing a layout that came to define the look of the American penny for decades.