Lincoln Cents Reference

Whitman Publishing has released the 5th edition of its reference guide dedicated to America’s most iconic and widely collected coin—the Lincoln cent. The newest edition of Q. David Bowers’s Lincoln Cents: History, Values, Collecting includes the latest issues, tracing the coin’s evolution from its debut through more than a century of change, culminating with the 2025 Omega cents.

This richly illustrated volume explores the history and nostalgia behind every design change, alloy adjustment, and minting innovation since 1909. Bowers covers the series’ reverse motifs and offers insights into the production process. He also provides practical grading guidance for both circulation and proof strikes, and a discussion of the official end of the circulating cent. Hobbyists will discover strategies for building collections, identifying errors and varieties, and exploring alternative designs, including bicentennial proposals.

This guide is No. 9 in Whitman’s renowned Red Book Series™, which spans nearly 30 volumes, each offering in-depth coverage of U.S. coin types and programs featured in A Guide Book of United States Coins (the “Red Book”). The 5th edition of Lincoln Cents is available on Whitman’s website for $29.95 in paperback and $22.99 as an ebook.