Stack’s Bowers Galleries conducted the landmark “Omega” Lincoln Cents auction on December 11, marking the final chapter in the long history of United States circulating cents.
Selected by the United States Mint to handle this historic offering, Stack’s Bowers presented all 232 three-coin Omega Cent sets, drawing significant participation from collectors and institutions worldwide.
The Omega Cents represented the very last circulating pennies struck by the United States Mint. Each coin bore a distinctive Omega (Ω) privy mark, symbolizing the conclusion of a legacy that began in 1793.
The Sets
Each three-coin set included a 2025 Lincoln cent struck at the Philadelphia Mint, a 2025-D Lincoln cent struck at the Denver Mint, and a historic 2025 Lincoln cent struck in 24-karat gold at the Philadelphia Mint.
The gold cent represented the first cent ever officially struck in gold and ranked among the rarest non-Proof gold coins produced by the United States Mint.
Only 232 sets were produced, commemorating the 232 years of cent production, and all were offered exclusively in this single Stack’s Bowers auction.
Each set was accompanied by a serialized Certificate of Authenticity.
Notably, United States Treasurer Brandon Beach and United States Mint Acting Director Kristie McNally personally operated the presses to strike the final Omega coins in recognition of their historic significance.
Auction Highlights
The auction opened strongly, with Set No. 1 realizing $200,000, immediately confirming robust demand for the series.
Competitive bidding continued throughout the sale, particularly for higher-grade sets and those containing premium Denver Mint coins.
The sale’s top lot was Set No. 232, the final set produced. This extraordinary offering included three sets of canceled original dies used to strike the Omega Cents.
After spirited bidding, Set No. 232 sold for $800,000, making it the highest-priced lot of the auction and a fitting conclusion to the event.
Among other notable results, Set No. 212, selected by CoinWeek as the best overall set per grade, realized $180,000.
This set was distinguished by the inclusion of one of the highly coveted Denver Mint MS-67 coins.
Set No. 69 followed closely at $160,000, while Set No. 231, the next-to-last set produced, sold for $150,000.
Strong demand continued for top-grade Denver Mint examples. Set No. 157, which contained one of only three MS-67 graded coins, all struck at the Denver Mint, realized $130,000.
Three additional sets, Nos. 156, 214, and 220, each sold for $120,000, while Sets Nos. 190 and 213 brought $115,000 apiece.
Five sets—Nos. 2, 3, 164, 168, and 181—each realized $110,000, and Set No. 155 followed closely at $105,000.
The remaining balance of the 232 sets generally ranged from $87,000 to $70,000 each, with a secondary tier of results clustering between $50,000 and $60,000.
As anticipated prior to the auction, Set No. 64, which carried the lowest overall grade total, finished at the bottom of the rankings, selling for $48,000.
Overall Results
Per the Stack’s Bowers Press Release:”The very last circulating pennies, or “cents,” sold for over $16.76 million in a special auction by Stack’s Bowers Galleries on Thursday, December 12 th , presented on behalf of the United States Mint.”
The December 11 Omega Cents auction was obviously a resounding success, both financially and historically.
Strong prices across the board, particularly for the first and final sets, underscored the importance of the offering and ensured that the conclusion of the United States penny was commemorated in fitting fashion.
Additional Comments from the Stacks’s Bowers Press Release are here
The post Stack’s Bowers Galleries’ Omega Cents Sale Concludes with Strong Results and Historic Highlights appeared first on CoinWeek: Rare Coin, Currency, and Bullion News for Collectors.