You probably find 2013 pennies in your pocket change from time to time, but did you know some of these pennies are quite valuable?
In fact, some 2013 pennies are worth hundreds of dollars or more.
And one 2013 penny is worth more than $2,700!
So, how do you tell these rare and valuable 2013 pennies apart from the common ones that are worth just one cent?
In this post, I’m going to show you exactly what to look for on your 2013 pennies… and explain why some 2013 pennies are worth MUCH more than face value.
Fun Facts About 2013 Pennies
The United States Mint struck more than 7 billion (that’s billion with a “B”!) 2013 pennies. So, the 2013 penny is a common coin that you can find in pocket change.
It’s a popular misconception that 2013 pennies are made from copper. In fact, they contain only a small amount of copper. The interior of the coin is nearly pure zinc, while the outside is coated in copper. A typical 2013 penny should weigh 2.5 grams.
Victor David Brenner first designed the Lincoln cent in 1909, and his “VDB” initials can be found in tiny letters just under the bust of Lincoln on the obverse (“head’s side”) of the coin. Lyndall Bass created the Union shield reverse (“tail’s side) that debuted on the Lincoln cent in 2010.
2013 Penny Value (No Mint Mark)
The 2013 penny with NO mintmark was struck at the Philadelphia Mint. The Philly Mint struck a total of 3,750,400,000 pennies in 2013, and these are therefore very common coins.
Any circulated 2013 pennies you find in pocket change without mintmarks are worth their face value, or just 1 cent.
However, an uncirculated 2013 penny without a mintmark that looks like it was just minted yesterday is generally worth 10 to 30 cents.
The most valuable 2013 penny with no mintmark was graded MS68RD by Professional Coin Grading Service and sold in 2018 for $576.
2013-D Penny Value
The 2013 penny with the “D” mint mark was struck at the Denver Mint to the tune of 3,319,600,000 pieces. The 2013-D penny is certainly a common coin, but there are some 2013-D pennies that are worth more than face value.
Most 2013-D Lincoln cents are worth only their face value of 1 cent — particularly if they’re plucked from pocket change and show signs of wear.
But if you find an uncirculated 2013-D penny that looks virtually brand new, it’s most likely worth 10 to 30 cents.
There are some 2013-D pennies worth even more than that! For example, the most valuable 2013-D penny was graded MS69RD by Professional Coin Grading Service and fetched a whopping $2,750 at a 2019 auction.
2013-S Penny Value
The 2013-S Lincoln cent was struck at the San Francisco Mint and thus bears the “S” mintmark.
While many people are looking for rare and valuable 2013-S pennies worth more than face value in their spare change, the reality is you’ve got a slim chance (at best) of finding a 2013-S penny in circulation.
Why are 2013-S pennies rare, you might ask?
The answer is that the 2013-S penny isn’t rare at all. Rather, 2013-S Lincoln cents were distributed by the U.S. Mint only in proof sets specifically designed for coin collectors. These 2013-S proof pennies were made using polished planchets (or blanks) and struck twice by specially prepared dies on high-tonnage presses to help bring up all the detail on the coin.
While the 2013-S penny was sold to coin collectors and others who ordered these coins directly from the U.S. Mint, some may have been broken out of their special government packaging and spent as regular money — as happens to proof coins from time to time.
In all, the San Francisco Mint produced 1,274,505 of the 2013-S pennies, and these are normally worth about $2 to $5 apiece. So, as you see, 2013-S proof pennies are neither rare nor valuable — even if you can’t seem to find them in pocket change.
Of course, as it goes with many 2013 pennies, some are worth more than others. And this is true for the 2013-S proof penny. The most valuable 2013-S proof Lincoln cent was graded PR70DCAM by Professional Coin Grading Service and sold for $291 in a 2019 auction.
Rare 2013 Penny Errors To Look For
While the 2013 penny values above are for examples that are essentially “perfect,” some of the most valuable 2013 pennies are the ones that don’t look exactly as they should. These error and variety coins can be worth big money — because they’re relatively rare and a lot of collectors want these mint mistakes.
There are many kinds of coin errors and varieties, but here’s a list of some of the most popular and valuable 2013 penny errors:
2013 Doubled Die Penny Error
A lot of people seem to know about doubled die coins. That’s one reason this weird error, in which parts of the design are doubled, can bring so much money.
But it’s also a rarity thing. True doubled dies that show drastic doubling noticeable by the naked eye are really rare.
There are no valuable 2013 doubled die pennies worth thousands of dollars known to exist. However, there are some with more obscure doubling on parts of the design.
Look for doubling in Lincoln’s eye, his coat, his tie, or the lettering on the coin — these are worth anywhere from $25 to $50.
2013 Off-Center Penny Error
When the dies aren’t aligned correctly or a planchet isn’t seated in the correct spot on a press, the result may be an off-center coin.
Any 2013 pennies you find that are off-center by more than 3% to 5% are worth keeping — because these are both scarce and valuable! The more off-center it is, the more it’s worth.
For example, if the strike is 10% or more off-center, then your 2013 off-center penny can be worth anywhere from $5 to $10.
The most valuable kind of 2013 off-center penny is missing about 50% of its design, yet still shows a complete date and mintmark (if applicable). Such an off-center penny is worth $50 to $100!
2013 BIE Penny Error
While the errors listed above could happen to any coin, there’s one type of error that is unique to Lincoln cents — the BIE error variety.
The BIE error refers to a small, vertical die crack that appears between the letters “B” and “E” of “LIBERTY” and looks like a little capital letter “I.”
A 2013 BIE penny error can be worth $5 to $15, and is highly collectible.
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!
