How much would a 1989 D zinc Lincoln cent be worth?

Answer 1

All 1989-D Lincoln cents (and for that matter, all Lincoln cents made since the middle of 1982 except for a few made for mint sets in 2009) are 97.5% zinc with a thin coating of copper - unless it is in Brilliant Uncirculated condition, it is only worth one cent (and even in BU, it's not worth a whole lot more than that).

If you are asking about a 1989-D cent that appears to be made of zinc (that is, looks silver in color rather than copper), its value would depend on why it looks that way (and also on its condition).

If the coin has been manipulated after it left the mint (that is, either coated with something to make it look like silver, or dropped in a chemical of some type - likely a stong acid - to strip the copper coating off, it is worth one cent.

If, however, the coin was produced on a planchet (a coin-shaped piece of metal) that never got its copper coating, then it is an interesting error that certainly has some value, in the range of US$30 or so, but a dealer, particularly one who specializes in error, would be able to give you a better answer.