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“Semi-key” refers to a number of different scarce (but not necessarily rare) coins — especially those which are regularly collected within a whole series (every date and mintmark of a certain design) like Lincoln cents, Buffalo nickels, Walking Liberty half dollars, etc.
A lot of people know about the really rare Lincoln pennies:
- 1909-S
- 1909-S V.D.B.
- 1914-D
- 1922 “Plain” (no mintmark)
- 1931-S
Those 5 coins have represented many challenges for Lincoln cent collectors over the years.
In fact, they are such well-known key coins that even many non-collectors know they have hit it big if they find one of those 5 coins in the attic, a trunk, or even in their pocket change.
However, those 5 Lincoln cents are not the only ones that prove scarce to collectors. In fact, there are many date-and-mintmark combinations which are very difficult to find, cost collectors a pretty penny to buy, and certainly are on the wish lists of many people. Which Lincoln cents are these?
Following is a list of the most popular semi-key Lincoln cents…
Lincoln Semi-Key Coin Values
- 1910-S, 6,045,000 minted ($15 to $225)
- 1911-D 12,672,000 minted ($7 to $550)
- 1911-S 4,026,000 minted ($28 to $2,000)
- 1912-D 10,411,000 minted ($9 to $500)
- 1912-S 4,431,000 minted ($22 to $41,150)
- 1913-D 15,804,000 minted ($4 to $550)
- 1913-S 6,101,000 minted ($12 to $750)
- 1914-S 4,137,000 minted ($23 to $1,500)
- 1915-S 4,833,000 minted ($20 to $1,750)
- 1922-D 7,160,000 minted ($16 to $375)
- 1924-D 2,520,000 minted ($38 to $1,000)
- 1926-S 4,550,000 minted ($8 to $1,750)
- 1931-D 4,480,000 minted ($4 to $200)
- 1932 9,062,000 minted ($2 to $50)
- 1932-D 10,500,000 minted ($3 to $75)
- 1933-D 6,200,000 minted ($3 to $75)
Prices are according to the Professional Coin Grading Service. Low price range is for “Good-4” coins, upper range is “Mint State 66”.
Semi-Key vs. Key Date Coins Explained
As opposed to key coins (those which are the most expensive and rarest in a series), semi-key coins belong to the next tier of coins below “key coins.” Still expensive and scarce, just not as pricey and rare as those that prove to be almost impossible for some collectors to obtain.
The semi-key Lincoln cents listed above are becoming increasingly difficult to find in all grades. Some are scarcer in high grades than others. Some Lincoln cents are considered “key” coins in higher grades while common in lower grades. The values listed here are for general “semi-key” Lincoln cents based on relative scarcity and price among all grades.
Over recent years, most of these semi-key Lincoln cents have seen a steady rise in price and demand. While these semi-key coins certainly do not qualify as among the rarest in the series (and some, arguably, are still considered “common” by several enthusiasts) in lower grades, they are no doubt scarce, or getting scarcer.
Most of the semi-key Lincoln cents listed here have mintages of less than 10 million. Lincoln cents are one of the most popular coins to collect as a series — not only in the U.S. but in many other parts of the world, too. Demand overall is strong for these coins, and the value of these wheat pennies is equally robust.
As mintages count only the number of coins made (not the number of coins surviving), it is safe to say that many of these semi-key Lincoln cents have been lost over the decades. A significant amount which survive are damaged, cleaned, corroded, bent, or so worn that they would not be desired by a collector.
While it is possible to find these semi-key Lincoln cents in circulation, the likeliest way to get a hold of these coins is to buy them from a coin dealer.
One of the best books on the market for Lincoln cent collectors is David Bowers’ A Guide Book of Lincoln Cents, published by Whitman.
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!
i have a 1970 penny with an s under the date is it worth anything or just another penny
Hi Teddy,
That depends — the vast majority of 1970 S Lincoln cents are worth only face value if worn or a slight premium over that if uncirculated.
However, there is a relatively small number of 1970 S Lincoln cents with a so-called small date. One way to tell a small date 1970 S Lincoln cent from the large date is the word LIBERTY appears weaker on the small date coin. Also, the tops of the numerals in the date are pretty much aligned in a straight row on a 1970 S small date cent, whereas some of the numerals in the large date dip a bit from the imaginary line across the top of the date 1970.
A 1970 S small date Lincoln cent is worth about $40 to $50 in uncirculated grades.
what about a 1951 penny?with a s under ?
Hi Alyssa,
A 1951-S Lincoln penny is actually considered a common coin and is worth 2 to 5 cents in worn grades.
walking liberty half dollar mine has a date of 1914?
Hmm, Todd… The earliest Walking Liberty half was released in 1916. Is the third digit perhaps a ‘4’?
If yours is a 1944 Walking Liberty half dollar it’s worth about $6 to $8 in worn grades.
what about a 1925-s?
Tanuilau,
A 1925-S Lincoln cent in typical, worn grades is worth about 20 cents to $1.
I have a 1976 copper penny that has a boundary of the State of Missouri etched to the right side of Lincoln’s head with the letters MO inside the boundary. Looks professionally etched. Of my hundreds of pennies, this is the only one of this type! Do you have an explanation? Wm Tyson
Hi, WM —
Yes, you have a penny that was minted as part of a novelty coin set that was produced sometime in the 1970s or so. Many pennies with dates minting from 1974 to 1981 (of the ones I have heard about) were imprinted with the outlines of all 50 states.
One reader here at The Fun Times Guide to Coins reported having a set of all 50, and I have heard of many people both here and elsewhere who have found these. I don’t know who counterstamped the state images on the Lincoln cents, but they are worth at least 25 cents to 50 cents each and are particularly marketable to those who collect Lincoln cents and novelty coins.
I have a 1953-D and a 1913. What are these worth?
I came across a 1934 wheat head penny but has no letter by the date. An ideas what it may be worth?
Yes, Kleins — a typical 1934 penny without the mintmark (which means it was made at the Philadelphia mint) is worth around 5 to 10 cents.
how about the penny 1919-s worht i didn,t see it’s number
Jose,
A 1919-S penny in typical worn grades is worth around 20 cents.
Hi, I have a 1943 S steel penny that is off-struck; the right side of the blank is blank, and the right side of the penny face is on the left side of the blank. On the back, the wheat side is upside down ( and on the right side of the blank). What’s up with this?
Susan
Hmm, Suza… would you mind providing a photo if possible? You can post it right here in the comments section. Thanks!
i have a collection of LINCOLN HEAD CENT….. it is a blue nook of some sort… all the coins starts on 1941-1960…. what can u say about that?
Hi, Maya –
Such a collection of Lincoln cents is worth around $3 to $5.
I have several wheaties, my love for coins goes back many years when I used to sit with my Dad and sort them, looking for the “good”ones.
I’m interested in knowing what my 1917 D and 1919 S might be worth. The 1917 is in great shape.
Thanks!
Debby
Hi, Debbie –
What a wonderful memory that must be, looking through old wheat pennies with your dad. The 1917-D and 1919-S are each worth around 10 cents to 50 cents in the worn grades you describe.
we have a 1910 lincoln wheat penny no letter under the year.what is it worth
Hi, Ramon
A 1910 Lincoln cent in typical, worn condition is worth around 50 cents.
I have a 1935 penny and it looks like the “5” has been stamped again to make it look like a “6.” Is there any value to something like this? Thanks
Hi Joshua, I have a very large collection of pennies ranging from 1910-2000. I have a ton of complete penny books as well as complete rolls of many of those years individually. I am honestly not sure what to do with them or who to contact for values for the whole collection. Any advice on where to start with such an overwhelming amount of them?
Hello Holly,
Managing a large collection of coins like that can definitely be overwhelming. Here’s what I suggest – I posted below links to a few articles that discuss the most valuable coins. Please check them out and see if any of yours match the dates listed there:
Rare Lincoln cents: https://coins.thefuntimesguide.com/rare_wheat_pennies/
Semi-key Lincoln cents: https://coins.thefuntimesguide.com/lincoln_semi_key_coins
Lincoln Memorial cents: https://coins.thefuntimesguide.com/memorial_penny/
Whatever coins are NOT listed in these articles are most likely worth between 3 cents and 20 cents each. Though only a sight-seen evaluation can determine a more precise value of the collection. If you want a sight-seen appraisal or want to sell your coins, try looking into visiting a coin dealer near you. The post below tells you how to look for good coin dealers:
https://coins.thefuntimesguide.com/coin_dealer/
This link is a search engine that can help you find a reputable coin dealer in your area:
https://www.pngdealers.org/component/jtagmembersdirectory/?view=browselist&Itemid=544
Thank you for your question and please check back anytime with follow-up or other types of additional questions!
hi Joshua im starting out on doing the penny collecting thing so far ive gotten a penny of (1928 but it don’t have any letter on it, ive also have a 1947 with an S letter on it) ive got penny with out no letters on it and some with letters on it just don’t know what that means if u can help me out I would appreciate it thanks
hi Joshua im starting out on doing the penny collecting thing so far ive gotten a penny of (1928 but it don’t have any letter on it, ive also have a 1947 with an S letter on it) ive got penny with out no letters on it and some with letters on it just don’t know what that means if u can help me out I would appreciate it thanks
Hi, Dusty —
The letters, also called mintmarks, are “D” (Denver mint) and “S” (San Francisco mint) for Lincoln cents. No mintmark usually means the coin was made at the Philadelphia mint.
Here’s more info on mintmarks: https://coins.thefuntimesguide.com/mint_marks_letters_on_coins/
As for the 1928-S and 1947 Lincoln cents, the values are 20 cents and 10 cents, respectively.
Here’s an article you may find helpful — 43 Most Valuable Pennies: https://coins.thefuntimesguide.com/valuable-pennies/
Hello again I have a worn 1911 D .key Date ! An y question is what’s it worth thank you..I have some others that are close ..like a 1930 S . ..but close doesn’t count ….
Hello, David —
I’m trying to blow up the photo as large as possible; are you sure that isn’t an “S” on the 1911? If it is, it’s worth about $15 to $20 in that grade — much more than the $3 to $5 that piece would be worth if it’s a 1911-D. Something about that mintmark (a possible notch on the lower left side of the mintmark, at least as visible on my screen) presents like an “S.”
Your 1930-S Lincoln cent, if in well-worn condition, is worth about 15 cents.
Best,
Josh
Hello Joshua. Hope everything Is good. I pick up a couple of coins the other day, A would you let me have a grade an a value in the two … Thank you. 1 Fan .. Double Dave
Hi, David —
Nice pickup with the 1911-S penny! I’d say it’s worth $40 to $50. The 1917-S Lincoln cent is also a better date and has a value of $1 to $1.50 in that grade.
Good buys!
Josh
Hello Joshua, I have a 1957 D and not sure what is on the 9. It appears to be a glob of copper and hoping you could tell me more about this. I have found lots of wheaties just like it. Thanks https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e12ec522b876f4b6ecee6b5b775d31443305aa286fd5f209240709ea189effeb.jpg
Hi, Daniel —
Given the obverse post-mint damage marks on this coin, it looks like a chunk of the metal at the top of the “9” was squashed inside its loop. The coin is still worth its usual premium of about 3 cents in average circulated condition.
Best,
Josh
Thank you sir.
You’re welcome!
Just found this 1956 us penny and my question is, would this be a double die?
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5a8f1bd16fbac5e8fe0b2e4bdd7bfa5a9ccde26655f9863ec8c862e83226a1fc.jpg
Hi, Daniel –
This looks like machine doubling (not a valuable error) based on what I see in this photo, but I would need to see the rest of the coin to look for diagnostic markers on other parts of the coin to see if it looks like any other attributed doubled dies from that year.
Thank you for your question and photo!
Josh
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/334104ec3ac73ec15d5e77a8feb8d4d637dfed218c094b97701a75b846d19183.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b7518860a183b93e4d2fc441ad79c374364279e93be28021f0327d18cba47b7f.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/be074f3db2dc32a8236bd3d0c44c1b2e996520c3069268d661e527edc75b6369.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/68ebdfc08e3d80467a0653d8e403af20cf1c79be8f26a15b6b181c0e688c88fe.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/96dfedce1072f85e155d3c30b17c9fded49612678347657d5113a326a66f61a1.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d94630d74d6cbbfd9431e08512200dc6e1608ada9ae22df1237a86db0c48a182.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ac35ab747cd96e5b5b77ac59b2935b441096676f0e72e066fc710f2a50649b16.jpg
Hello, Daniel!
I appreciate the extra photos. Yes, I really do feel this is machine doubling based on the appearance of the doubling and prominence across the coin. Keep on looking — you may find another doubled die with enough searching.
Thank you for your question!
Josh
Thank you for looking Joshua. I did find a 1956 Double D.
I was thinking it was machine doubling. I compared it to a double die I found a few days ago. Was hoping though. If you need other pics of this coin, let me know and thanks for your insight.
Are any pierced coins valuable?
Hi, Char —
Will you please provide a photograph of what you’re asking about? Do you mean coins that had holes punched in them? If that’s the case, then altered coins such as those are worth a small fraction of what they would be worth if left original and whole. Those values would vary on the type of coin, extent of damage, etc.
I hope this info helps,
Josh
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a7bb03ea079b1e950b371009fa862aa0c74fe02e48920727ae91b36530f5f22b.jpg
Hi, Char —
These holed 19th-century type silver coins are generally worth $2 to $5 each. It’s hard for me to say whether any of these three-cent silver, half dimes, and dimes here are scarce because I don’t see the reverse where any potential mintmarks are located. If any of these coins are scarce varieties, even with the holes they could be worth far more than $2 to $5 each.
I hope this info is helpful,
Josh
Are these coins worth anything more than their face value?
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f01dec0ce79900a1665259b423067cf319974b1421b9018723cf85215949fc90.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ab3d11d23b1888cfcac14bee4a566b752cf65fec29101f5a9a51554c39842e6a.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f60dec19944f5430923e726b6a433c3cd04545d24ed67ae8a5b6b60afb0a8d55.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f01dec0ce79900a1665259b423067cf319974b1421b9018723cf85215949fc90.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ab3d11d23b1888cfcac14bee4a566b752cf65fec29101f5a9a51554c39842e6a.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f0f44f144ad6a9c3a91c3f54eb2b7c9283070668a3edacf479bbf71aa03e5f3e.jpg
Hi, Melissa —
All the coins pictured except for the 1981-D Roosevelt dime are worth more than face value.
Here’s a rough estimate on values baed on what I see in the images:
•1944-S Lincoln cent — 15 to 20 cents
•1969-S Lincoln cent — 2 cents (copper value)
•1942 Mercury dime — $3 to $3.50
•1964 Roosevelt dime — $2 to $2.50 (90% silver)
I hope you find this info helpful!
Thank you,
Josh
Thank you. I have a few more I’m curious about too. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6a3d61700fdab5593c9f837483e6136611f3f291b8de51a91f6049b839ca81d6.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f39bce3afaf231a54a398d3819f3cc128dbe074f8258f06a8fc4a56783dbe4be.jpg c https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/93d8726af5010f9bdd0fb6184c1e5666edc1f4f1f6b7c8bcbc8344193132984a.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/42630e04a7bd467b190b541170ca4c3f24408ed8af20d1f1b1f0fb9afdf72444.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0490630221d664bec504837f6f7 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/754d1a18c608c7a4be64d9480a6bfc95864a1beb81f47f7a4395b3bd178e9f14.jpg 63556eb8663382f6ae2b576f8f722dfed40cf.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/967da4ce087338d51f6392c3fc8980c9556ef3045939745c6fe1e75fc768b43d.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/20fdd891c1c4392dd3e05779aeabf82264932657503a94c057ff877a03646314.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c428f410039bd79a1821456ca4bb46524b78c8c553d20e5dee24e18c702f907c.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/842a5899fa3dd288b954dd04c8a3c1c8f38afd5286bafc419f291c08b71015a7.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/94d7fa9e81e657d96f0fed35ed711119e823186ff2d190507dbce59963df0413.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7ccb6d6de5302c6bb49f7aab9977201e6212d2f0de83227b271833eaac3f95ac.jpg
Hello, Melissa —
Here’s an approximation of values for your coins:
•1926-D Lincoln cent — 30 to 50 cents
•1936 Lincoln cent — 10 to 15 cents
•1943 Lincoln steel penny — 20 to 30 cents
•1957-D Lincoln cent — 3 to 5 cents
•1960-D large date Lincoln cent — 10 to 20 cents
•1963 Lincoln cent — 20 cents
•1969-S Lincoln cents (none are doubled dies) — 2 cents for the copper value
•Quarter – I don’t know the year or type of this coin, so I until I find out more I’ll wait to estimate.
Thank you for your post and photos,
Josh
What’s this worth? put the pictures of both sides together in paint, Thing’s missing the letter below the date so I’m clueless here. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8c2eb6bddbbdc0056e960250981899e421148c3c3dadd2df250e696d145d5f83.png
Hello, Xylas —
The lack of a mintmark below the date means this is a Philadelphia-mint penny. This 1912 penny is worth about 30 to 50 cents in this condition.
Nice find!
Josh