2008-S Proof

The 2008-S Proof is the final proof Lincoln cent to carry the Memorial reverse. Struck at San Francisco with a mintage of approximately 2.17 million pieces, it brings to a close the proof Memorial cent series that began in 1959. For fifty years, San Francisco (and before it, Philadelphia) had produced proof cents featuring Frank Gasparro's depiction of the Lincoln Memorial. The 2008-S is the last.

The coin features deep mirror fields and fully frosted devices. Deep cameo contrast is standard. Beginning in 2009, the proof cent would carry four different bicentennial reverse designs, and from 2010 onward, the Union Shield reverse would take over. Collectors who pursue a complete proof Memorial set from 1959 through 2008 end their collections with this coin. It is affordable and widely available, but it holds a quiet finality. The Memorial design served the American cent longer than any previous reverse, and this proof is its last expression in the format that showcases coin design at its finest.