Found a 1917 penny and want to know what it’s worth?
Whether you’ve got a single 1917 Lincoln cent or many 1917 wheat pennies, you’ve come to the right place to find the 1917 penny value today!
In this article, you will learn these fun facts about 1917 wheat pennies:
- How much 1917 pennies with errors are worth
- Which 1917 pennies are rare
- How many 1917 Lincoln cents were made
- Who designed the Lincoln penny
- Plus, other fun trivia about the 1917 penny
Today’s 1917 Penny Value
If you’ve found one or more 1917 Lincoln cents in your loose change and you’re wondering how much they’re worth, here’s a rundown on values for 1917 wheat pennies.
Which one do you have?…
- 1917 penny with no mintmark — A 1917 Lincoln cent with no mintmark on the obverse (heads side) was made at the Philadelphia Mint. These are worth about 10 to 50 cents in well-worn circulated condition. A typical uncirculated example with chocolate brown color is worth between $20 and $120, depending on grade. Lustrous examples with vibrant original red color can run as high as $10,000 or more.
- 1917-D penny — A 1917-D wheat cent with “D” mintmark from the Denver Mint is worth between $1 and $7 in well-worn circulated condition. A typical chocolate-brown mint state piece is worth between $100 and $300, and a specimen with original reddish surfaces worth as much as $6,000.
- 1917-S penny — A 1917-S wheat cent with an “S” mintmark from the San Francisco Mint is worth between $1 and $5 in circulated condition. A typical uncirculated example is worth $125 and $300 with original chocolate brown color. A gem red specimen trades as high as $4,500… or even more!
*Values listed above are for 1917 Lincoln cents with no signs of damage — including cleanings, holes, bends, heavy nicks, or other types of problems.
IMPORTANT: What Is The Grade Of Your 1917 Penny?
To determine the true value of your 1917 penny, you first need to know what condition (or grade) your coin is in.
Grab a coin magnifier and a copy of the U.S. Coin Grading Standards book. Then, watch this video to see how to grade coins yourself at home:
COIN TIP: These are the best coin grading apps that make grading coins yourself much easier.
A List Of Rare 1917 Wheat Penny Errors
There are several kinds of 1917 wheat penny errors — including the 1917 doubled die penny that is worth a huge sum of money.
These are some of the rare and valuable 1917 error pennies:
- 1917 doubled die penny — Easily the most famous 1917 error coin, this rare doubled die Lincoln cent exhibits significant doubling in both the date and the motto “IN GOD WE TRUST.” Perhaps 200 or so 1917 doubled die pennies are known to exist. This type of 1917 penny error is worth about $150+ in circulated grades. Uncirculated pieces are worth $3,000 or more.
- 1917 off-center penny — Off-center Lincoln pennies are scarce. Pieces that are 5% to 10% off-center are worth anywhere from $10 to $20 or more. Drastic errors off center by 50% or more can bring hundreds of dollars.
- 1917 penny with a die crack or die cud — Come across a 1917 wheat penny with raised bumps or bulges on the surfaces? These are likely die cracks — they’re caused by gouges or other damage on the die that strikes the design on blank coins. A 1917 Lincoln cent with a minor die crack or die chip (a small, blob-like die crack) is worth around $3 or $4. Major die cracks can be worth $10 to $20, and a significant die cud can be worth $150 or more.
- 1917 penny with a repunched mintmark — Repunched mintmarks are made when the working die is stamped at least twice by a mintmark punch. Varieties like this on the Lincoln cent are popular with penny collectors and error specialists! These 1917 wheat penny errors can be worth anywhere from $5 to $20 apiece.
Fun Facts About 1917 Pennies
The Lincoln cent is one of America’s most favorite coins. Here are some cool facts about the 1917 wheat penny and other old Lincoln pennies…
#1 – What’s the most valuable 1917 wheat penny?
The 1917 doubled die penny takes the top spot — with an MS-66 Red selling at a 2007 auction for $48,300. The most valuable non-error 1917 Lincoln cent sold is a 1917 Philadelphia Mint specimen in MS-68 Red that traded for $38,813 in 2006.
#2 – How many 1917 pennies were struck?
Hundreds of millions of 1917 Lincoln wheat cents were made. Here’s a breakdown by U.S. Mint facility:
- 1917 no mintmark penny (Philadelphia Mint) — 196,429,785 minted
- 1917-D penny (Denver Mint) — 55,120,000
- 1917-S penny (San Francisco Mint) — 32,620,000
#3 – Who designed the 1917 Lincoln cent?
Notable sculptor Victor David Brenner designed the Lincoln cent in 1909.
I’m the Coin Editor here at TheFunTimesGuide. My love for coins began when I was 11 years old. I primarily collect and study U.S. coins produced during the 20th century. I’m a member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) and the Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG) and have won multiple awards from the NLG for my work as a coin journalist. I’m also the editor at the Florida United Numismatists Club (FUN Topics magazine), and author of Images of America: The United States Mint in Philadelphia (a book that explores the colorful history of the Philadelphia Mint). I’ve contributed hundreds of articles for various coin publications including COINage, The Numismatist, Numismatic News, Coin Dealer Newsletter, Coin Values, and CoinWeek. I’ve authored nearly 1,000 articles here at The Fun Times Guide to Coins (many of them with over 50K shares), and I welcome your coin questions in the comments below!
