Did you know there’s a 1999 penny worth $300 or more?
It’s true. If you know which 1999 pennies to look for, you may find a 1999 penny error — with enough searching (and a little luck).
Read on to see what makes some 1999 pennies so valuable and how to find the rare 1999 penny in your pocket change.
How To Tell If You Have A 1999 Penny Error
The rare penny I’m talking about is the 1999 Wide AM penny.
1999 Wide AM pennies were accidentally made when reverse proof coin dies — which were designed to strike the “tail’s side” (reverse) of special collector Lincoln pennies — were used to strike 1999 Lincoln pennies intended for circulation.
You can tell a 1999 Wide AM penny from an ordinary 1999 penny by looking at the letters “A” and “M” in the word “AMERICA” on the reverse of the coin.
You’ll notice a significant gap between the bottoms of the “A” and “M” on the 1999 Wide AM penny. (On ordinary 1999 pennies, the bottom of the letters “A” and “M” appear to nearly touch one another.)
See precisely what a 1999 Wide AM penny looks like.
In fact, during that period, there were 3 different Lincoln cents made with a Wide AM reverse proof die:
- 1999 Wide AM penny
- 1998 Wide AM penny
- 2000 Wide AM penny
Of these, the 1999 Wide AM penny is by far the scarcest.
Here’s how much a 1999 Wide AM penny is worth:
- Even the most well-worn examples of the 1999 Wide AM penny are worth around $100.
- Most 1999 Wide AM pennies have a value of $150 to $300.
- The record auction price paid for a 1999 Wide AM penny is $2,300.
The Value Of Other 1999 Pennies
You may not have a 1999 Wide AM penny, but you’re probably still curious what your “regular” 1999 penny is worth.
If your 1999 penny is worn, it’s worth face value — or 1 cent.
However, 1999 pennies that are uncirculated (or, as some might say, “mint condition” or “Mint State”) are worth more.
Here’s what uncirculated and proof 1999 pennies are worth:
- 1999 penny with no mintmark (Philadelphia): 5,237,600,000 minted — 10 to 25+ cents
- 1999-D penny (Denver, “D” mintmark): 6,360,065,000 minted — 10 to 25+ cents
- 1999-S penny (San Francisco, “S” mintmark): 3,347,966 minted — $3+
*Values listed are for uncirculated and proof 1999 pennies. Worn specimens without errors or varieties are worth face value.
More About The 1999 Penny Value & Other Rare Pennies
In addition to the links I’ve included above, here are some other resources to help you find exactly how much your 1999 penny is worth:
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!
