The 1990 Penny Value Guide: What's Yours Worth?

The 1990 No S Proof is the crown jewel of the entire Lincoln cent series — and the last of its kind ever to appear. In the mid-1980s the U.S. Mint changed its production process so that mint marks were added to the master hub rather than hand-punched into individual proof dies. This should have made "No S" errors impossible. But in 1990, a worker inadvertently processed a Philadelphia obverse die — one without any mint mark — as a proof die, and it was shipped to San Francisco along with properly prepared proof dies.

The error die ran for an estimated 3,700 strikes before being caught. The Mint publicly acknowledged the mistake and confirmed the destruction of 145 recovered examples. Decades of systematic searching by collectors and dealers have confirmed that fewer than 200 genuine specimens survive. PCGS has certified 192 examples; NGC has certified 78. This coin is ranked #9 on the PCGS Top 100 Modern U.S. Coins list.

Visually, the No S Proof is unmistakable to a trained eye. It displays the classic proof finish: deeply mirrored fields that reflect like a polished mirror, sharply frosted (cameo) devices on both Lincoln's portrait and the Lincoln Memorial reverse, a squared wire-like rim, and — most critically — a completely blank area beneath the date where the "S" should appear. Even at the lowest collectable grades, these coins bring $2,000 or more because rarity consistently outweighs condition for this variety.

Before 1982, U.S. Lincoln cents were struck on bronze planchets consisting of 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc, giving them a heavier weight of 3.11 grams. In 1982 the Mint switched to a copper-plated zinc composition (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper) weighing just 2.5 grams to reduce production costs. The changeover created a brief window for transitional errors, where old bronze planchets accidentally mixed into the new production line.

A 1990-D Lincoln cent struck on a genuine pre-1982 bronze planchet has been documented. The coin is immediately identified by its weight: 3.11 grams instead of the expected 2.5 grams — a difference easily measured on a digital jewelry scale. The bronze planchet also produces a richer, deeper copper-red color than the thin copper wash on the standard zinc coin, and the edge will show the solid copper composition throughout rather than the telltale zinc core visible on clipped examples of normal cents.

For context on value, Stack's Bowers sold a 1989-D cent struck on a pre-1983 copper planchet for $22,325 in February 2014 — establishing a market benchmark for this error type on nearby dates. Any 1990 cent that registers 3.1 grams or more on a calibrated scale should be immediately submitted to PCGS or NGC for authentication. Do not attempt to clean or alter the coin in any way before submission, as this would permanently reduce its market value.

Off-center strikes occur when the coin planchet is not properly centered between the hammer and anvil dies at the moment of striking. The retaining collar that normally holds the blank in position fails to engage it fully, allowing the planchet to shift before the press fires. The result is a coin where the design appears dramatically pushed toward one side, leaving a crescent-shaped unstruck blank area on the opposite edge.

For 1990 pennies, value depends primarily on two factors: the percentage of off-center displacement, and whether the date remains fully visible. A coin that is 10%–15% off-center with the complete date showing is worth roughly $50 to $100. Examples displaced 30%–50% off-center with the date still visible command $100 to $200. The rarest and most desirable examples — those displaced more than 50% while still clearly showing "1990" — can bring $300 or more from serious error collectors.

Coins that are off-center but have the date clipped off are worth far less ($5 to $20), because date attribution is essential for a premium. When examining candidates, check both sides — a coin may appear off-center only on one face if die orientation is involved. Full "two-sided" off-center strikes with the date visible on both faces are the most desirable sub-type and command the highest premiums within this category.

Doubled die errors on Lincoln cents occur during the hubbing process, when the working die receives multiple impressions from the hub that are not perfectly aligned. Each misaligned impression adds a slightly offset ghost copy of the design to the die, which then transfers to every coin struck from that die. For 1990 pennies, CONECA (Combined Organizations of Numismatic Error Collectors of America) has documented six distinct doubled die varieties — four on the reverse and two on the obverse.

The most visible doubled die obverse (DDO) varieties show splitting or notching on the date numerals "1990," the lettering of "IN GOD WE TRUST," or on Lincoln's eye. Reverse doubled dies (DDR) display doubling on the columns of the Lincoln Memorial building or on "ONE CENT" and "E PLURIBUS UNUM." The doubling on 1990 cents tends to be subtle — typically class II or class VI hub doubling rather than the dramatic rotation seen on famous errors like the 1955 Doubled Die — so careful examination with a 10× loupe is essential.

Values for 1990 doubled dies depend on how bold and clear the doubling appears. Minor, barely visible examples in circulated grades may bring only $25 to $50 over face. Bold, clearly doubled specimens in uncirculated condition with full red color can reach $100 to $200 or more, particularly if they receive a DDO designation from PCGS or NGC. Collectors should note that machine doubling (MD) — a common form of die deterioration — looks similar but carries no premium and must be distinguished from true hub doubling.

Die crack errors occur when the hardened steel working die develops a crack during the production run, usually due to metal fatigue from the repeated stress of striking millions of planchets. The crack in the die creates a raised line on the struck coin — the opposite of what you might expect, because metal flows into the crack during striking, producing a raised ridge on the finished coin's surface.

The most collectible die crack variety on Lincoln cents is the "BIE" error, named for the visual effect it creates. A vertical die crack running between the "B" and the "E" of the word LIBERTY on the obverse produces a raised line that closely resembles the letter "I" — making the word appear to read "BIETY" or "LIBIERTY" to the casual observer. This distinctive appearance has made BIE errors a popular and affordable entry point into the error coin hobby for beginning collectors.

On 1990 pennies, BIE die cracks are encountered with some regularity given the enormous production volume — over 11 billion coins means even a single die with a crack could produce thousands of affected coins. The error is most clearly visible when the coin is held at an angle under a raking light source, which causes the raised crack ridge to cast a shadow. Values range from $5 for minor cracks in circulated condition to $25 or more for bold, prominent cracks on uncirculated Red coins with strong visual appeal.