Some 2005 Pennies Are Worth More Than $7,000… Do You Have Any Of These?

You’ve probably come across many 2005 pennies in your pocket change.

Did you know that some are worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars?!

It’s no joke. If you find the right 2005 pennies, they can be worth much more than face value — like $7,000 or more!

So, how can you tell a rare 2005 penny from one that’s common and worth just 1 cent?

Here’s what to look for…

2005 No Mintmark Penny Value

A 2005 Lincoln penny with no mintmark was produced at the Philadelphia Mint.

This is a common coin, with 3,935,600,000 of these pennies made — that’s nearly 4 billion (with a “B”) that were struck.

However, don’t let that large mintage fool you. Many of these coins are no longer circulating, and the available pool of uncirculated specimens is shrinking!

Here’s how much a 2005 penny without a mintmark is worth:

• Any 2005 Lincoln pennies without a mintmark that were spent as money and show signs of wear from circulation are worth only their face value.
• Those that haven’t and remain in mint condition (aka uncirculated) are typically worth 10 to 30 cents.
• The record price for the most valuable 2005 penny with no mint mark went to a specimen that was graded MS68+RD by Professional Coin Grading Service and sold for $1,950 in a 2018 sale.

2005-D Penny Value

The 2005-D pennies have a “D” mintmark under the date indicating these coins were struck at the Denver Mint.

3,764,450,500 of these coins were made. Of course, that’s a lot of pennies (nearly 4 billion) — which is similar to number made in Philadelphia.

Here’s how much 2005-D pennies are worth:

• Like the Philadelphia-minted 2005 pennies that have no mintmark, the 2005-D pennies are also worth face value if they’re worn.
• An uncirculated 2005-D penny is worth an average of 10 to 30 cents.
• The record price for a 2005-D penny is substantially higher! One amazing example graded by Professional Coin Grading Service as MS68RD fetched an astounding $1,403 in a 2012 auction.

2005-S Penny Value

The 2005-S penny isn’t a coin you would expect to find floating around in pocket change.

Struck at the San Francisco Mint and bearing its “S” mintmark under the date, the 2005-S pennies were made just for coin collectors and sold in special sets of coins.

These 2005-S proof pennies don’t look like ordinary Lincoln cents. They were polished before minting and intentionally struck twice on high-tonnage presses by specially prepared dies — to ensure that even the tiniest of details were fully brought to life on these special coins.

These 2005-S pennies have mirror-like reflectivity and frosted designs and lettering for a one-of-a-kind finish unlike anything you’ve probably ever seen before on a typical circulating coin.

Here’s how much 2005-S proof pennies are worth:

• The San Francisco Mint struck 3,344,679 proof pennies in 2005, and these were all sold in 2005 proof sets — which can be bought today at a coin shop for about $7 to $10 and up.
• An individual 2005-S penny sells for around $2 to $5.
• One of the most valuable 2005-S proof pennies sold for for $130 in a 2015 auction.

2005 No Mintmark Satin Finish Penny Value

The 2005 mint set is an assemblage of coins packaged by the United States Mint that represents one of each coin produced for circulation at the Philadelphia and Denver Mints.

In 2005, these coins were manufactured with a special high-quality satin finish — superior in appearance to the coins made for circulation. They’re distinctive for their matte-like surfaces and better-than-average overall appearance.

Here’s how much a 2005 satin finish penny without a mintmark is worth:

• A total of 1,160,000 of these 2005 satin pennies were struck at the Philadelphia Mint, and they were distributed only in the 2005 mint set — which can be bought at many coin dealers for around $15.
• Individual 2005 satin finish pennies retail for about $1.50 to $3.
• The all-time most valuable 2005 satin penny was graded SP70 by Professional Coin Grading Service and sold for a whopping $2,760 in a 2007 auction.

2005-D Satin Finish Penny Value

Like its cousin from the Philadelphia Mint, the 2005-D satin penny was also made exclusively for 2005 mint sets. It carries the same matte finish and excellent eye appeal.

Here’s how much a 2005-D satin finish penny is worth:

• These were struck for collectors and packaged in 2005 mint sets. A total of 1,160,000 were made, and the average price for a 2005-D satin Lincoln cent is about $1.50 to $3.
• Although most 2005-D satin finish pennies sport terrific surfaces, one stood head and shoulders above the rest in terms of grade and quality. Ranked as the most rare and valuable of all 2005 pennies, this 2005-D satin penny was graded SP70 by Professional Coin Grading Service and crossed the auction block in 2008 for an astounding $7,906!

IMPORTANT: What Is The Grade Of Your 2005 Penny?

To determine the true value of your 2005 Lincoln cent, you first need to know what condition (or grade) your coin is in.

A List Of Rare 2005 Penny Errors To Look For

Not all 2005 pennies look spot-on perfect. Even the U.S. Mint makes an occasional mistake now and again, and collectors love these rare 2005 penny errors and varieties.

There are many kinds of oddities floating around out there.

Some people will find unusual-looking 2005 pennies and think they’re errors when they’re really just showing signs of post-mint damage.

There are also some bona fide pocket change treasures to be found!

Here are 3 of the most valuable 2005 penny errors you should be looking for and how much they’re worth:

2005 Doubled Die Penny Error

Some 2005 pennies show signs of doubling in the design and lettering. These erroneous varieties can be quite rare and valuable, depending on the magnitude and location of the doubling. The most common form of doubling is caused by die deterioration and is neither an error nor valuable.

Look for signs of doubling in places like Lincoln’s eye or tie, the Lincoln Memorial building and its columns, or in the lettering on either side of the coin.

• Even a minor 2005 doubled die penny can be worth $20 to $50.

2005 BIE Penny Error

The 2005 BIE penny is easy to spot if you know what you’re looking for. You’ve got to check for a little blob or raised line that looks sort of like a capital letter “I” between the letters “B” and “E” of “LIBERTY” just to the left of Lincoln’s portrait.

How did that “I” get there anyhow? Was it a spelling error? Nope — not a typo. Rather, it’s a mishap caused when the die used to strike the front of the Lincoln penny started splitting due to aging or other damage. That little crack creates abnormal raised features on Lincoln pennies. And when this die crack forms in just the right spot, it can create what looks like a superfluous letter “I” in “LIBERTY.”

• A 2005 BIE penny can be worth anywhere from $5 to $15 depending on the condition of the coin and appearance of the pseudo “I.”

2005 Off-Center Penny Error

How about this for a weird error?

The 2005 off-center penny was struck — you guessed it — off-center. In other words, it’s missing part of its design.

It may have been caused by the coin not being seated correctly on the correct spot between the dies, the dies themselves being out of whack, or something else. Ultimately, what resulted is a 2005 penny error that collectors love!

• The value for a more common version of a 2005 off-center penny is around $10 to $20 — about the amount you might pay for a piece that’s, say, 5% to 15% off-center.
• A 2005 off-center penny that’s missing about 50% of its design but still shows a complete date and mintmark (if applicable) can go for as much as $100… or more!

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