The United States Mint struck this Lincoln penny in 1997.
You can find Abraham Lincoln on the front and the classic Lincoln Memorial on the back.
The RD designation stands for Red, meaning the coin still keeps its original bright copper color.
Most modern pennies are struck on zinc planchets coated with a thin copper layer.
Billions of these pennies left the mint and entered regular circulation.
Finding an everyday 1997 penny in your pocket change is very easy.
Finding one that survived without any marks or spots is an entirely different story.
This piece sits at number 44 on our list of notable coin sales.
A premier example of this coin changed hands through EA auctions.
The piece was certified by professional graders at the grade of Mint State 69 Red.
That high grade places the penny just one point away from absolute perfection.
The final recorded price for this coin reached 2/21.
At the 69 grade level, a coin shows virtually no contact marks or hairline scratches.
Professional grading services look at thousands of modern cents before finding one this clean.
Buyers at auction pay high amounts when a coin reaches a grade that few other examples ever achieve.
Your typical pocket change penny will never reach this level of preservation.
Modern copper-plated zinc cents damage very easily during production.
The minting process drops newly struck coins into large metal bins where they bang together.
These minor impacts leave small dings and contact marks on the soft metal surfaces.
Zinc cents also react quickly to moisture in the air and develop dark spots over time.
Because of those issues, almost every 1997 penny shows tiny flaws straight from the mint.
Collectors who build high-grade registry sets compete heavily for the cleanest known pieces.
This competition creates strong demand whenever a top-tier specimen appears on the market.
The value here comes entirely from condition rarity rather than an unusually low mintage.
You can begin checking your coins under a good desk lamp with a basic five-power magnifying glass.
Look closely at Lincoln's cheek and coat to see if there are tiny nicks or scratches.
Turn the coin over and inspect the flat fields around the Lincoln Memorial columns.
The coin must show full, original mint luster with no fingerprints or black carbon spots.
If you see brown toning or dull surfaces, the coin will not qualify for a full Red designation.
People often confuse clean pocket change with uncirculated mint state coins.
You can use CoinKnow or Coin Value Checker on your phone to scan the piece and get an early read on what you have.
Always hold the coin by its outer edge so skin oils do not ruin the copper plating.
A true top-grade survivor will look completely spotless across both sides.
If you need a yes-or-no on whether to keep it, see the coin valuation app tools we tested side by side.