Wondering how much your 2023 pennies may be worth?
Believe it or not, many of your 2023 pennies could be worth more than just face value!
But how would you know a rare and valuable 2023 penny from one that’s worth just 1 cent?
I’m going to show you exactly what you need to be looking for on a 2023 penny in order to determine if it’s worth big bucks or if it should just be spent as regular money.
Fun Facts About 2023 Lincoln Cents
The 2023 Lincoln penny is just one of a long line of one-cent U.S. coins honoring 16th United States President Abraham Lincoln.
Here are some important things you should know about your 2023 penny…
What’s the story behind the design of the 2023 Lincoln penny?
The Lincoln motif seen on the one-cent coin today was designed by Victor D. Brenner. This design first appeared on the U.S. penny in 1909.
The Lincoln design on the obverse (heads side) of the coin has changed very little over the past century plus, but the reverse (tails side) has seen many designs over the years:
- From its debut in 1909 until 1958, the Lincoln cent sported a wheat ears design — which gave way to a visage of the Lincoln Memorial, designed by Frank Gasparro in 1959.
- The Lincoln Memorial design was seen until 2009.
- In 2009, the Lincoln cent saw a 1-year commemorative program honoring the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth — with 4 special designs profiling his life from childhood to presidency.
- In 2010, the reverse of the Lincoln penny adopted the current shield design by Lyndall Bass.
Are 2023 pennies made from copper?
Many people think that all Lincoln pennies are made from copper.
In reality, this is only partly true.
Since late 1982, all circulating Lincoln cents and the vast majority of special collector Lincoln cents have been made from a copper-plated zinc format.
How much does a 2023 penny weigh?
All 2023 pennies should weigh 2.5 grams.
This is significantly less than the 3.1 grams that typical copper pennies weigh.
Do you have a coin scale? Here are the best scales for weighing U.S. coins. (You might also want to get a coin magnifier.)
Are 2023 pennies rare?
In a nutshell, no — most 2023 pennies are very common.
However, there are 4 kinds of 2023 pennies that are rare and valuable:
- 2023 uncirculated pennies
- 2023 proof pennies
- 2023 error pennies
- 2023 variety pennies
We will examine each of these below — including how to find them and what they’re worth.
All 2023 Penny Values Today
Here’s a rundown on all of the different types of 2023 pennies, and how much they’re worth today…
2023 Penny Value (No Mintmark)
The 2023 penny with no mint letter stamp (or mintmark) was struck at the United States Mint in Philadelphia to the tune of billions of pieces.
Circulated 2023 pennies (the ones you’re most likely to find in pocket change) are worth only their face value of one cent.
However, the uncirculated 2023 pennies (the ones that look brand new) are worth 10 to 30 cents each.
2023-D Penny Value
Find a 2023 penny with a D on it?
The 2023-D pennies were struck at the Denver Mint, which strikes its coins with a D mintmark.
As with the 2023 penny with no mintmark from Philadelphia, 2023-D pennies were struck into the billions and are highly common.
A typical worn 2023-D penny is worth just its face value of one cent. However, uncirculated 2023-D pennies are worth 10 to 30 cents apiece.
2023-S Penny Value
Here’s a type of penny you probably won’t find in circulation but may still hear about…
The 2023-S penny, which bears an “S” mintmark from the San Francisco Mint, was made just for coin collectors. The 2023-S pennies were not released into circulation, but rather sold in special collector items known as proof sets.
What exactly is a proof coin?
Modern proof coins are made from polished coin blanks that are struck by specially prepared dies on high-tonnage presses. The coins are struck at least twice to help bring up even the most minute of details, providing a super-quality coin that exceeds the brilliance and sharpness of any regular 2023 penny you will find in circulation.
If you want a 2023-S proof penny, you should be able to buy one from a coin shop for about $3 to $7.
Do you have a copy of the U.S. Coin Grading Standards book? It’s an invaluable resource for finding current coin values. It will help you determine the value of all your coins.
Rare 2023 Penny Errors And Their Values
If you want to find a really valuable 2023 penny, then you should start searching your pocket change for errors and varieties.
These so-called mint mistakes are where collectors can really hit pay dirt.
Errors aren’t supposed to be escaping the mint… yet they do. And collectors go crazy for these rare and valuable error pennies!
2023 Doubled Die Penny Error
If you want to find a 2023 doubled die penny worth money, you’ll need to search far and wide. At the moment, there are no known major doubled dies to be found among the 2023 pennies. However, there could be some minor ones out there — and these can be worth some significant money!
A doubled die, given the nature of what the error variety is (doubling of part of the design or lettering) tends to stand out. However, for the minor doubled dies you may need a coin magnifier to really spot the mistake.
A 2023 doubled die penny, should one be found, could be worth anywhere from $25 to $100 or more. It depends on the magnitude of the doubling, the location of the variety, and how rare or popular it is.
2023 Off-Center Penny Error
Here’s a really cool type of error — the off-center error penny!
An off-center penny can present itself in a variety of ways, with some of the more dramatic off-center coins missing as little as 1% of their design or as much as 99%.
The value of a modern off-center error penny tends to range from about $3 to $5 to as much as $100. (The higher values are for pieces that are about 50% off center and still show a complete date.)
2023 BIE Penny Error
One type of variety that is unique to Lincoln pennies is the BIE error — which shows a small, vertical die crack between the letters “B” and “E” in the inscription “LIBERTY” on the obverse (just to the left of the Lincoln portrait).
BIE pennies are rather common — but they are, nevertheless, highly popular collectibles. Some penny enthusiasts even try collecting them by year!
As for any 2023 BIE pennies, these can be worth $7 to $15 — depending on the condition of the coin.
NEXT: A List Of All U.S. Coins Worth More Than Face Value
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!
