1920-S Lincoln Cent. MS-65 RD (PCGS). OGH.This handsome example exhibits dominant deep rose-red color to both sides. Blushes of pale flint gray are also evident, the most prominent of which is on the reverse above the word STATES. With the vast majority of Mint State 1920-S cents softly defined due to having been coined from worn dies, this sharply struck and expertly preserved Gem represents a significant find for the advanced Lincoln cent enthusiast.<p>The budget and staffing cuts at the Mint after World War I affected the San Francisco particularly hard. Production of Lincoln cents dropped off by nearly a hundred million coins from the previous year, down to a comparatively small 46,220,000 pieces. Quality, too, suffered, as almost all known examples of the 1920-S cent were struck using heavily worn dies prepared from equally worn hubs, resulting in an issue with chronically poor striking characteristics and seldom found with full Red color and often with weak definition at even the highest grade levels. While the issue was hoarded beginning in the mid- to late 1930s, by then Mint State examples were seldom encountered, if at all. With only a sole specimen certified finer and even then just barely, a sharply struck full Red specimen, as here, is a hidden gem waiting for only the finest of cabinets.
