1986 Penny Value: Price Chart by Grade & Mint Mark

In 1986 the U.S. Mint struck about 8.93 billion Lincoln cents for circulation: Philadelphia 4.49 billion, Denver 4.44 billion. That is 18% fewer than 1985. Among the 117 years from 1909 to 2025, 1986 ranks number 26 by total mintage (1 = most coins made), so it is one of the most common dates in the series. The scarcest 1986 issue by mintage is Denver (4,442,866,698); the most common is Philadelphia (4,491,395,493). Within the 1980s, 1986 ranks 10 of 10 years for mintage; the decade's high was 1982 (16.73 billion) and its low was 1986 (8.93 billion). Mint by mint: Philadelphia fell 20% from 1985; Denver fell 16% from 1985. Proof cents for collectors: 3,010,497 from San Francisco.

The mint mark, if any, sits under the date on the front of the coin. A 1986 cent with no mint mark was struck at Philadelphia and is the normal, common form for that mint. The letters you can find on 1986 circulation cents are D (Denver). Proof cents carry an S and have mirror-like fields; they came from collector sets, not from circulation.

• Between 1974 and 1986 the West Point facility also struck cents, without any mint mark. A cent from these years with no mint mark can therefore be from Philadelphia or West Point; the two cannot be told apart, and neither is scarce.
• Cents from 1983 onward are copper-plated zinc (about 2.5 g). The plating is thin, so these coins corrode easily: bubbles, pitting or grey spots on a bright coin are damage, not a variety.
• Before anything else, confirm the date and mint mark are fully readable and that the surfaces have not been cleaned; the dates and mint marks guide shows what cleaning and machine doubling look like.

PCGS Price Guide values for 1986 cents (updated September 24, 2026, U.S. dollars, for coins certified by PCGS):

• 1986: $6 in MS63 RD and $10 in MS65 RD.
• 1986-D: $6 in MS63 RD and $10 in MS65 RD.

Denver is the lowest-mintage 1986 issue (4,442,866,698 struck), so it is the mint collectors check first. Guide prices assume a certified coin; an uncertified, worn 1986 cent usually sells for less than the lowest figure above, and most circulated zinc cents are worth face value. RD means full original red copper, RB red-brown, BN brown; the color grade can multiply the price. How grade and variety turn into a number is explained in what makes a coin valuable.