1983 Penny Value: See What A 1983 Doubled Die Penny, A 1983 D Penny, And Other 1983 Pennies Are Worth Today

by

Joshua

Coin Values, Hobbies & Crafts

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1983 Penny Value

Do you have a 1983 penny and want to know what it’s worth? Maybe you think you’ve found a 1983 doubled die penny, but you’re not sure?

I’ll tell you what your old pennies are worth and also how to know whether or not you have a 1983 doubled die coin.

Plus, I’ll give you the lowdown on the rare 1983 copper penny worth $15,000 — it’s one of the latest rare coins to be discovered!

How Much Is A 1983 Penny Worth?

Most 1983 pennies you’ll find in pocket change are worth only face value — or 1 cent. That’s because 1983 pennies are, for the most part, common coins and they contain very little copper.

I’ll explain more about this in a bit. But, before I do, here’s more info on 1983 penny values:

  • 1983 No Mintmark (Philadelphia) penny — 7,752,355,000 (7.752 billion) minted — 10 cents to 25+ cents
  • 1983-D (Denver) penny — 6,467,199,428 (6.467 billion) minted — 10 cents to 25+ cents
  • 1983-S (San Francisco) proof penny — 3,279,126 minted — $2+
  • 1983 Doubled Die penny — mintage unknown — $250+

*Values are for uncirculated and proof 1983 pennies as listed. Worn 1983 pennies with no errors or varieties are worth face value only.

IMPORTANT: Do You Know The Grade Of Your Penny?

To determine the true value of your 1983 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:

What Are 1983 Doubled Die Pennies Worth?

One of the most well-known error coins is the 1983 doubled die Lincoln cent.

The 1983 doubled die penny is worth thousands of times more than face value. Specifically:

  • At least $15 to $20 in well-worn circulated grades
  • $250+ in uncirculated condition

While 1983 doubled die pennies are very scarce, they’re also one of the easiest doubled die Lincoln pennies to spot with the naked eye! The doubling is found in the following areas on the reverse (tails side) of the coin:

  • The word “UNITED”
  • The motto “E PLURIBUS UNUM”
  • The inscription “ONE CENT”

Doubled die coins are rare error varieties that are struck by a die (the device that imprints designs on blank coins, or planchets) that was inadvertently stamped by a hub more than once. The hub, by the way, imprints a design on the working die. So a doubled die coin isn’t one that was struck by a die twice. Rather, it’s a coin that was struck once by a double-stamped die.

How Much Is The Rare 1983-D Penny Worth?

Around 2013, there was the discovery of a rare copper 1983-D penny. It’s like no other old copper penny ever made!

It turns out that it’s made from a 98% copper, 2% zinc planchet — which is an unusual composition.

When copper Lincoln Memorial pennies were being minted for circulation before 1982, they consisted of 95% copper, 5% zinc.

In late 1982, the composition changed to a copper-plated zinc format, and virtually all 1983 pennies are made from the zinc composition (except for a few rare off-metal and transitional errors like the 1983 copper penny).

There’s still much that collectors don’t know about 1983-D copper pennies, but what specialists have determined is that the rare 1983 penny is worth about $15,000!

Here’s everything you want to know about the 1983 copper penny.

More Info About 1983 Pennies

In addition to the links I’ve included above, here are some other resources to help you learn more about 1983 penny values:

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91 thoughts on “1983 Penny Value: See What A 1983 Doubled Die Penny, A 1983 D Penny, And Other 1983 Pennies Are Worth Today”

    • Hi, Bill —

      This is actually the normal font for the 1983 penny. In fact, several issues in the Lincoln cent series have unusual-looking date font/point sizes. Consider the similar 1943 penny, which has a small “4” and relatively long “3.”

      Here’s an article with a photo of the 1943 cent: https://coins.thefuntimesguide.com/1943-penny-value/

      Thank you for reaching out!
      Josh

      Reply

    • Hello, Jacqelle —

      From what I see in this photo, this is a normal 1983 cent worth face value. If it has evidence of being a doubled die (seen on the reverse, or “tail’s” side) or weighs 3.11 grams it is worth significantly more.

      Best wishes,
      Josh

      Reply

  5. Well, I’ve long been fascinated by coin errors but have never been much for the discouragement from not finding any…. ever. Each time I thought I had, itdi turn out to be some sort of technicality that made it almost worthless. Well, raking through my penny jar looking for my birth year (’80) I came across two finds. One, a 1905 Indian Head penny in wonderful shape after soaking the corrosion off in vinegar. Two, this quite obvious defect…. I’d like to hear any thoughts or info you may have on my Quasimodo. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a7204b3d51d98efec12610d7d64a7e451f0b24c3d18f6456a5321122f9f4a081.jpg

    Reply

    • Hi, Samantha —

      What about these coins appear to be an error? I’m not sure what I’m looking for and nothing is standing out to me in the photos of the 1942and 1983-D cents.

      Thanks!
      Josh

      Reply

      • I was just checking, not really sure what to look for. I thought the letters at the top were doubled . Thanks for looking .

        Reply

        • Hi, Samantha —

          I’m having a hard time getting a look at this one. To me it looks a bit like machine doubling… “THE” 1983 doubled die has doubling on the reverse, not the obverse as is the case here.

          I’d say hold it aside and see if you can get an in-hand evaluation…

          Best,
          Josh

          Reply

      • I was just checking, not really sure what to look for. I thought the letters at the top were doubled . Thanks for looking .

        Reply

  11. I have some old penny’s I found and I’m not sure if any are special. Would like to take a pic an see what you think.

    Reply

    • Hi, LivelyB23!

      Happy Fourth you you, too! 🙂

      I’m looking at the other photo and am unfortunately still at a loss for what I’m looking for. Would you please tell me what you see on this coin that looks unusual? The photo is a tad grainy so maybe I’m missing something on my end. The first and really only thing I can pick out in this photo is some softness on the bottom of the first “S” of “STATES,” which is not an error and is a die weakness, for which there is no price premium.

      Hope you have a great holiday!
      Josh

      Reply

  17. Hi Joshua. Just found a 1983 penny while cashing in $250 of coins at the bank. It is pretty worn as has been in circulation but there are lots of apparent air bubbles and may have been struck off center????? I will attach a pic

    Reply

    • Hi, Shyjuan —

      I’d need to please see clear photos of your error coins to provide you with better assistance as to what’s going on with them and what they’re worth. You can upload those photos here in the comments forum.

      Thank you!
      Josh

      Reply

    • Hello Shyjuan —

      A 1917 Buffalo nickel is worth about $5 to $10 in well-worn grades while a 1937-D is worth 75 cents to $1.50 in the same condition.

      Best wishes,
      Josh

      Reply

    • Hi, Shyjuan —

      Upload them by clicking the rectangular portrait button near the comment box. The images must be JPG or PNG files no larger than about 2 mb.

      Hope this info helps,
      Josh

      Reply

  33. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/562a930a9e2466813cc96116b1f51613d5a0397a6234ec59f615964f652393df.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6c87c3e54f0bc6542c3f9edb1d9c59e054e0a5537890a30b514a682a257d379f.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/75f749d7298d4a95a10a8ece85115480afc06c7efb69116f15112d534e81cf66.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/beccf3eb3cee65ad4bc40dc6cc1d4f1fc9e4b8c5a32d6ea03cb86a61022ef1f3.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/890e00f626d861023ad1e4e1c50f294a847faf4270dcefe23fce7f26a707a962.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b8445f7d00c58c6ce087e2b5a7159936d111f520d19849a7482f79fc962ceb56.jpg

    Reply

    • Hello, Abelardo —

      After looking at your posts I see that unfortunately none of the coins pictured appear to have any doubled dies or cuds and are regular pieces with signs of environmental damage and some light machine doubling. The 1975 penny is worth 2 cents for its copper metal value and the 1983 and 1985-D pennies are worth face value.

      Thank you,
      Josh

      Reply

  35. Hi Joshua! Im in need of a little assistance, if I could, please. I dont think it is a double die, but I have a 1983 lincoln penny(no mint mark), that I believe is another type of categorical error. I found it years ago, at work, when I broke open a new roll of pennies, that I had received for use in a retail store coin float, straight from the bank, so its been uncirculated all this time, in my possession. The penny is totally silver in colour, like a nickle, is in good shape, with no obvious rust, discolouration or errosion, of any kind, so I believe wasnt tampered with re: chemically. It is approx. 1/16″ circumference and weighs 2.62 grams. These arent the best lighted pics, but Ive included photos, here so you may see, for yourself. It shows in the pics, like it has a little black on it, but is actually just the lighting of photo. There is actually no black at all…it totally looks exactly the colour of a brand new nickle. I would appreciate, if you could have a look-see and let me know, if this is worth, to pay for having it appraised, at all. Thanking you, in advance! ~ Kat
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/449417cc0e1c1062ddd1c0f60c72997e731ba7dd3ee55ca2c7119075db8f6bd5.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e35cc25251e29756ca8faed909af9ccd7935b1441f18cf03d5c34151e213982d.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/948f62645d2b0c88a0f338d51a8925363e9e6f29e6d97279908b5438a30a27e0.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8a9b51a9ce041687fd227fb4d3a3d63fcdd0e34ab78b6c927a37b5e0aa9f585c.jpg

    Reply

    • Hi, Kitty —

      It’s possible you have a 1983 penny struck without its copper plating. Beginning in 1982, the US Mint produced Lincoln cents for circulation consisting of a zinc core coated with copper. However, sometimes the zinc-based coin blanks managed to skip the copper-plating process in error. It’s possible your piece is just such a coin. These errors can be worth $50-100 or more depending on condition.

      Because the coin would need to be evaluated in hand to determine if it’s truly an error, the coin would have to be submitted to a Numismatic professional. You might consider reaching out to the variety and error experts at CONECA (www.varietyvista.com) about this.

      I’m wishing you the best of luck!
      Josh

      Reply

      • Oh, that is great! Considering that it was only and is a penny lol. Like, I said, it’s in excellent shape, like a brand new nickle. Ive kept it separate, in the slot of a velvet ring box, all these years. I most likely wont sell it, but will just keep it in my own collection. I will take it into a reputable professional, here in Calgary, Alberta, and have it graded and slabbed, I guess, is the procedure. I just wanted to see, if you thought it would be worth the fee to have it done. Thanks so much for your help and quick reply! : ) ~ Kat in Canada

        Reply

        • Hi Kat,

          As it usually costs $20 to $30 to have a coin certified and graded by a company like PCGS or NGC, you might want to try getting an opinion on the coin itself first by an error attribution organization like CONECA. While they might charge a few bucks to check into it, it will cost less for an answer… If it turns out that your coin is really just the end-result of a common school science experiment in which the copper is stripped off the zinc core by way of chemicals, the loss won’t be so great. CONECA won’t encapsulate your coin like a third-party grading service might, but it’s a good — and generally less-expensive first round evaluation option.

          Best wishes,
          Josh

          Reply

    • Hi, Heidi —

      This is a regular penny that has had its outer copper coating worn away at the high points through what appears to be either heavy circulation or intentional sanding of the coin, exposing its inner zinc core. This piece is worth its face value.

      Best wishes,
      Josh

      Reply

    • Thanks for the additional images, Heidi… Yes, all Lincoln pennies made since 1983 are composed of a zinc core coated in copper. Your 1983-D penny is simply showing its inner zinc core through wearing away of the copper.

      Reply

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