Lincoln cents, which have been in minted since 1909, are not only the United States’ longest-running coin series, but they are also one of the world’s most popular coins to collect.
Millions of coin collectors clamor to assemble complete date-and-mintmark sets of Lincoln cents, and many will pay thousands of dollars just to own an entire run of this beloved one cent series.
Lincoln pennies have been popular as collector coins since the 1930s, when the first coin boards, coin albums, and coin folders were published to display Lincoln cent collectors.
Because this coin is so widely collected, it goes without saying that demand for the scarcer dates is extremely high. This also translates to high values for many of the rare and semi-key Lincoln cents.
Today, many Lincoln cents are worth more than $25 each, and some are even worth hundreds of dollars.
That hasn’t always been the case, though.
Below is a look at values for the rare and semi-key Lincoln cents over the course of the last 50 years. As you will see, many Lincoln cents have dramatically increased in value of the last several decades. Many values have outpaced inflation! Some, however, have actually decreased in value.
These values are culled from the 1965, 1985, and 2005 editions of A Guide Book of United States Coins, by R.S. Yeoman.
*Unless otherwise posted, all coin prices below are for coins grading “good.”
1909 VDB $.75 (1965) $2.25 (1985) $4 (2005)
1909 S VDB $125 (1965) $250 (1985) $460 (2005)
1909 S $27.50 (1965) $45 (1985) $60 (2005)
1910 S $3.50 (1965) $8 (1985) $7.50 (2005)
1911 D $1.35 (1965) $3.50 (1985) $5 (2005)
1911 S $9.50 (1965) $11 (1985) $17 (2005)
1912 D $1.50 (1965) $4 (1985) $6 (2005)
1912 S $5.50 (1965) $10 (1985) $12 (2005)
1913 D $1.10 (1965) $2 (1985) $2 (2005)
1913 S $3.50 (1965) $8 (1985) $7 (2005)
1914 D $42.50 (1965) $80 (1985) $120 (2005)
1914 S $5 (1965) $9 (1985) $10 (2005)
1915 S $4.50 (1965) $9 (1985) $10 (2005)
1916 S $.60 (1965) $.75 (1985) $1 (2005)
1922 D $3.40 (1965) $4.75 (1985) $8 (2005)
1922 Plain $25 (1965) $200 (1985) $400 (2005)
1924 D $15 (1965) $10 (1985) $12 (2005)
1926 S $3 (1965) $3 (1985) $2.25 (2005)
1931 D $3.50 (1965) $2.25 (1985) $2.75 (2005)
1931 S $27.50 (1965) $31 (1985) $50 (2005)
1955 Doubled Die Obv (uncirculated) $250 (1965) $1,250 (1985) $2,400 (2005)
This guide is for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional advice on what coins to invest in. The coin market is highly volatile, and gains or losses can come quickly and without warning.
I'm a roller coaster junkie, a weather enthusiast, a frequent traveler, and a numismatist. 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). I've also been studying meteorology and watching weather patterns for years. I enjoy sharing little-known facts and fun stuff about coins, weather, travel, health, food, and living green... on a budget.
