The Fun Times Guide > U.S. Coins > wheat pennies

Old Lincoln Cents You Can Still Find In Pocket Change

First struck in 1909, tens of billions of Lincoln pennies have made their way to pockets, purses, and piggy banks all across the land.Because Lincoln cents are so numerous and also very inexpensive (after all, their face value is only one cent!), they have become one of the most widely collected United States coins ever made.In fact, it's perfectly safe to say that Lincoln cents are the most popular collectible coin.Some of the allure of collecting Lincoln pennies is searching pocket … [Read more...]

Old-School Wheat Cent Collecting: Using A Penny Board

Collecting wheat pennies has been a national pastime since the 1930s, when the first penny boards were published by Whitman -- the same company that sells blue coin folders and coin collecting guide books.Penny boards pre-date modern-day coin albums and are one of the most influential developments in coin collecting because they sparked interest in date-and-mintmark collecting.While coin collecting has experienced many changes since the 1930s, the revolution created by penny boards is … [Read more...]

5 Popular Wheat Penny Error Coins

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It seems everybody likes collecting Lincoln wheat pennies.Wheat cents, which were last made in 1958, show the familiar image of President Lincoln on the obverse and two stalks of wheat, signifying prosperity, on the reverse.While tens of millions of these Lincoln wheat pennies were made without flaw from 1909 to 1958, there were several which ended up with errors that eventually turned them into valuable and sought-after collectibles.Let's take a look at 5 of the most popular wheat … [Read more...]

Old Coins You Might Have… & What They’re Worth

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It's really amazing how many old coins are floating around out there.At least a few times each week, I'll be asked how much an old penny is worth, values for old quarters, and prices for old silver coins.There are tons of old coins out there just waiting to be found in estates, buried in coffee cans, and hiding out in boxes and drawers.Let's check out some old coins you may have and see how much they're worth.Get out your magnifying glass... maybe you have some of these old coins … [Read more...]

Top 5 Types Of Valuable Coins You Should Be Looking For

OK, here's the short list of the top 5 categories of valuable coins you should be looking for in pocket change, old jars of coins, inherited coin collections, and other places where you'll have the chance of easily finding old and valuable coins: All wheat-back Lincoln cents (Before 1959) All nickels before 1960 Any dimes and quarters before 1965 (these are silver) All half dollars before 1971 (these are silver) Any coins that appear to have mistakes -- such as doubled … [Read more...]

10 Coin Collecting Short Set Ideas For Coin Collectors On A Budget

Minding the budget while enjoying coin collecting can sometimes be a challenge. However, it's possible to still enjoy the hobby of coin collecting while paying careful attention to how much money you're spending. Building a short set is a common way of rounding out a coin collection while not spending a fortune to complete an entire date-and-mintmark run of coins. What's a short set and what are some common coin short sets? Let's look at 10 popular coin collecting short sets...  … [Read more...]

Which One’s Worth $1,000? The 1909 VDB Wheat Penny Versus The 1909 S VDB Cent

You’ve probably heard about the 1909 VDB wheat penny. You know -- the coin that you've heard is worth about $1,000 and up. The only problem is you're not sure if you have the vdb penny everyone is talking about... In fact, it takes more than just seeing VDB on your penny for it to be rare and expensive. It also takes an S on your coin, along with the VDB, for it to be the key coin that is worth $1,000 and up. But what does the VDB and the S mean on the 1909 Lincoln cent? The VDB … [Read more...]

7 Summer Coin Collecting Goals You’ll Be Able To Easily Reach

Now that summer's here, it's time to start thinking about some coin collecting goals that you might be able to start and finish before the leaves begin turning red, yellow, and gold in a few months. If you can put away just $5 a week this summer, here are some coin collecting goals you'll be able to meet before Labor Day: A collection of about 20 different Mercury dimes An entire collection of Lincoln Memorial cents (no proofs or varieties) A complete Philadelphia and Denver mint … [Read more...]

The 1950 Proof Set Features Silver Coins & The Lincoln Wheat Cent

Collecting old proof sets is both challenging and rewarding. Offering old silver coins that have been rising in value over recent years, buying proof sets from the 1950s and 1960s is one way to easily assemble a collection of old U.S. coins. The 1950 U.S. proof set was the first proof set made by the U.S. Mint since 1942. With about 51,000 produced, the 1950 proof set offers these coins: 1950 Lincoln wheat cent 1950 Jefferson nickel 1950 Roosevelt dime 1950 Washington quarter … [Read more...]