2019-D Lincoln Shield Cent

The 2019-D Lincoln Shield cent was the Denver Mint's regular production issue for the year, with a mintage of approximately 3.63 billion pieces. Denver's output slightly exceeded Philadelphia's, continuing the alternating pattern of production leadership between the two facilities. The "D" mintmark appears on the obverse below the date.

The 2019-D cent circulated alongside the groundbreaking 2019-W cents from the West Point Mint, which the Mint mixed into bags of regular Philadelphia and Denver cents sent to banks. Collectors searched through rolls of 2019 cents hoping to find the scarce West Point issues among the common Philadelphia and Denver coins. The treasure hunt generated significant public interest in the Lincoln cent, introducing many non-collectors to the hobby. The 2019-D cent itself is a common date, but it played a supporting role in one of the most creative collector engagement programs the Mint had ever attempted.