The United States Mint struck this Lincoln Cent in 1960.
The "D" mintmark tells you that workers produced it at the Denver Mint facility.
Like other pennies from this era, it was made with a traditional copper composition.
The year 1960 is famous among collectors because the mint produced two distinct date styles.
Early in the production run, dies featured numbers that were compact and tightly spaced.
The mint soon reworked the design into a larger, more widely spaced date to fix die-break issues.
This piece represents that second group, known to collectors as the Large Date variety.
It ranks at number 8 out of 200 on the list of standout Lincoln cents.
A top-tier example of this coin brought a standout result at EA auctions.
The winning bidder secured this piece for the 2/18 auction record.
Professional coin graders certified the coin in a pristine Mint State 67 condition.
They also assigned it the full Red designation, often shortened to RD on the label.
A 67 grade means the coin shows virtually no contact marks or striking flaws from manufacturing.
The Red color grade proves that the coin kept at least 95 percent of its original mint luster.
Most copper pennies turn brown or develop spots over decades of exposure to air and moisture.
Finding a Denver copper coin with full mint glow and nearly flawless surfaces explains the strong auction price.
Raw numbers alone do not tell the whole story for modern pennies.
The Denver Mint struck hundreds of millions of pennies in 1960.
Most of those coins went straight into daily cash transactions.
Pocket change quickly wears down, picks up scratches, and loses its original red luster.
Because copper reacts easily with the air, finding any vintage Lincoln cent without corrosion is tough.
The value here comes down almost entirely to condition rarity.
Collectors who build high-grade registry sets compete hard for the finest known examples of every date.
A typical circulated piece in your pocket is worth only face value or a few cents for copper.
Only certified pieces with clean surfaces and blazing original luster command prices like this.
You need to look closely at the date numbers on the front of the coin.
Use a 5x or 10x jeweler loupe under a direct light source.
Focus your attention on the digit "9" and the digit "0" in the date 1960.
On a Large Date coin, the top of the number "1" sits slightly lower than the top of the "9".
The inside loop of the "6" is noticeably larger and more open than on the Small Date version.
The zero is also full and round, rather than oval or narrow.
You can see the small "D" mintmark positioned directly below the date numerals.
If you want a quick opinion before buying special tools, scan the coin with Coin Value Checker.
A scanning app helps you confirm major design markers right away.
Check the surface color next to see if any bright orange or red luster remains.
Look across Lincoln cheek, jaw, and coat for any signs of gray metal wear or dark spots.
If the surface looks untouched and fully red, it may be worth getting it looked at by a professional.
For a quick cross-check before you commit, see which coin valuation app is worth installing.