7 Rare Wheat Pennies To Collect & What They’re Worth Today

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Among the most popular U.S. coins are Lincoln wheat pennies.

Millions collect them, and they have been highly popular with coin collectors of all ages and incomes for decades.

But which are the rarest wheat pennies?

And what are the low-ball pricing figures and values for these rare Lincoln wheat cents?

Let’s examine these 7 rare wheat pennies closer.

1909-S V.D.B. Wheat Penny

The 1909-S VDB is one of the most popular rare coins from the modern era. Only 484,000 of these coins were struck. The 1909-S (San Francisco) V.D.B. (initials of the designer) wheat penny easily commands $700 even in the lowest of collector grades. Those VDB initials stand for Victor David Brenner and they are found on the reverse, centered below the wheat stalks.

1909-S Wheat Penny

This is another 1909 San Francisco issue that is considered quite scarce. Collector demand is quite high for the 1909-S wheat penny, which can bring in at least $80. With a mintage of 1,825,000, the 1909 S is a very scarce coin with many people clamoring to get a hold of one.

1914-D Wheat Penny

The 1914-D Lincoln cent is one of those penny rarities which just keeps getting more expensive with time. With a little more than a million ever struck, the 1914-D usually commands over $175 in the lowest grades.

1922 “Plain” Wheat Penny

What happens when a mintmark is supposed to be stamped on a coin but never gets there? You have, in most cases, a popular rarity. That’s what happened when a small number of the 7,160,000 Lincoln wheat pennies the Denver mint produced in 1922 never received a “D” under the date on their cents thanks to a problem with the die. Examples of the 1922-D wheat penny with no trace of the “D” evident can fetch over $500 in the lowest grades. Beware, however, of regular 1922-D cents which have had their “D” mintmarks worn off by unscrupulous types.

1931 S Wheat Penny

1931 was a lean year for Lincoln penny production in San Francisco. The San Francisco mint struck only 866,000 Lincoln pennies that year, creating what many collectors would later regard a very important and eventually pricey “key” Lincoln cent. 1931-S Lincoln pennies currently sell for at least $80 in the lowest collector grades.

1943 Bronze Wheat Penny

In 1943, the U.S. Mint struck pennies out of steel to help ration copper for military purposes. However, a few 1943 Lincoln pennies wound up being struck in bronze, and these rare mistakes are worth a pretty penny indeed. In fact, some 1943 bronze cents have been sold at auction for over $100,000. Keep in mind that while the 1943 bronze Lincoln penny is very popular, it is virtually never considered as necessary for completing a Lincoln cent collection.

By the way, the 1943 steel Lincoln penny is not at all a rare — or even scarce — coin. However, it is a special one-year issue, which demands its own bit of popularity for being a distinctive-looking coin that everyone needs to complete their Lincoln cent collections and everyone wants because of the unique nature of the coin.

1955 Doubled Die Obverse Wheat Penny

Though an error coin (like the 1922 “plain” cent) the 1955 Doubled-Die obverse cent is nevertheless one of the most popular “rare” Lincoln pennies which, in some people’s minds, must be had in order to complete a collection of Lincoln wheat cents. There were well more than 330,000,000 Lincoln pennies struck at the Philadelphia mint in 1955, but only a tiny fraction of these received the significant doubling of the obverse design which warranted the attention and popularity the coin has since received. The 1955 doubled die obverse starts selling at around $1,100 in the lowest grades.

Far more common is the “Poor Man’s” 1955 doubled-die cent. While plentiful, they don’t have the dramatic raised doubling seen on the 1955 doubled dies which everyone is always talking about.

More Info About Rare Wheat Pennies

  • To get an idea as to current value for the Lincoln wheat cents mentioned in this article, visit the PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service) Lincoln cent pricing chart.
  • To find out more on mintage figures (as well as tons of other information about U.S. coins), purchase the current edition of A Guide Book of United States Coins, printed by Whitman Publications and edited by R.S. Yeoman and Kenneth Bressett.
Rare Pennies Worth $500+ (1909, 1914, 1922, 1931, 1943 & More!)

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1,507 thoughts on “7 Rare Wheat Pennies To Collect & What They’re Worth Today”

    • Hi Laquenda,

      It sounds like somebody etched or stamped that star on themselves. Your coin, unfortunately, is now considered altered. While it might now be considered a novelty coin, it unfortunately doesn’t make the coin rare and it now is worth just face value to most coin collectors.

      Reply
  1. has anyone heard of a lincoln penny where the head is double struck? I have seen where the date 1955 has been double struck, but can’t find info where the head has been.

    Reply
    • Lbutler,

      Perhaps the Lincoln cent you are referring to is the 1984 doubled ear Lincoln cent. There’s a photo of one here: https://www.coinpage.com/coin-image-5707.html

      The 1984 doubled die Lincoln cent is worth around $200 to $300.

      If this is not the coin you were thinking of, please let me know and we’ll see if we can figure out the piece in question!

      Reply
      • Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to me. The coin listed below is not the one. Its not his ear, but the outline of his face features is the part double stamped.

        Once again, thank you so much.

        Reply
        • L,

          I wish I could help you on that — I’m not aware of any particular doubled die where the head is so evidently double struck on the Lincoln cent.

          It might be some type of extreme machine doubling piece (typical pieces are not usually worth much more — if anything — over usual collector value for the coin) or it may even be some type of novelty piece. However, without seeing the coin, I am unable to provide much more info on it.

          I do wish you all the best in finding out more about what you have!

          Reply
  2. I have various coins and currency. I have a penny collection ranging from 1909-2009 missing only 16 dates. Happy to know if anyone would like to sell early year wheat pennies to complete my collection. Thanks

    Reply
  3. What about a 1909 penny without any mint mark? I looked for the VDB on the back but do not see that either. Thank you

    Reply
    • Hi, Judy —

      A 1909 penny without a mintmark is a Philadelphia 1909 cent. These are the most common of the 4 different 1909 Lincoln cents. Still, a decent example without any damage or signs of cleaning is worth easily $1 to $2.

      Reply
  4. Hi, my name is Dave. I just started getting into collecting coins again with my wife, well I came across 10 1957 D wheat pennies that have a blob of copper in the lower loop of the B in Liberty obverse. Ive looked in books to see if this is an error coin and online and found nothing. Every blob looks the same so it looks like a die error. If anyone can help me with this, you can email me at, dwhanscom@comcast.net Thanks all… hopfully I have a rare error coin here.

    Reply
    • Hi, Dave —

      First off, welcome back to coin collecting! So glad you’re collecting coins again and enjoying this great hobby!

      Now, as for the 1957-D with the blob, it sounds like you have a filled-die error. Though an error, it’s a fairly common one and doesn’t really carry much — if any — additional value over normal Lincoln cents, unless it has been recognized by Lincoln cent aficionados as being a particularly popular or rare filled-die error, and there’s no such record of that being the case with that coin now.

      However, it never hurts to hang onto it should it become something of value down the road.

      Reply
      • Thanks josh, yea I just looked through the rest of my wheats, and it does sound like what you say is true, I found about 20 of them just in my 1957d pile and found nothing online about them. I will take your advise and hang onto them. ill try and get a picture on here of what they look like. Thanks again.

        Reply
        • Absolutely, Dave — There are a few key things to look for when determining a copper versus zinc versus steel cent:

          *Typical copper cents weigh 3.11 grams
          *Copper-coated zinc cents weigh 2.5 grams
          *Steel cents weigh 2.7 grams
          *Traditional copper cents have a deep orange color when uncirculated
          *Copper-coated zinc cents have a light, whitish orange look when uncirculated

          Hope this helps!

          Reply
  5. hi i was woundering if anyone has heard of a 1909-s penny double strucked , its off centered and it looks as though it was struck twice and it was not pulled out of the die intime , and them struck a gain, it like 2 pennys in one

    Reply
    • Hi, Klupton —

      Are you sure it isn’t a globby ‘D’ mintmark? Because there are no ‘S’ mintmark pennies from 1957, it has to be some type of altered coin.

      Reply
        • Hi, Klupton — I had never heard of a 1957-S Lincoln cent of any type, so I double checked a number of reputable references on this to be sure, and I can find absolutely no documentation of there having been a 1957-S Lincoln cent, so that’s why I’ve concluded even without seeing a photo that this has to be some type of altered piece that was done for novelty affect.

          There are many very altered coins with added (or removed) mint marks, which is why it’s quite risky to buy rare coins that aren’t graded and encapsulated by grading companies — many coins which are rare because of the presence, or lack of, a mintmark have been altered.

          The key is knowing all the little nuances (what numismatists call ‘diagnostics’) are of each and every coin so you can tell if a coin is purely authentic or has been tooled and altered.

          Reply
          • I have a 1957-S Wheatie — don’t know if it’s altered or not. I took it to Medlar’s in San Antonio, Texas, and they said it was likely altered, but they said even so, it did not appear to be. Who knows?

    • Hi, Jean —

      A typical 1955 Lincoln wheat cent is worth about cents. However, if there is doubling on your 1955 wheat penny (seen in the date and lettering), it could be worth $1,000 or more. There’s a photo of the 1955 doubled die penny in this article above.

      Reply
  6. I have a 1955 wheat penny that looks like a 1995. Could this be a misstrike or does anyone know anything about this dated penny?

    Reply
    • Thanks for the question, Mark —

      I would need to see the coin to really give an educated suggestion as to what’s going on. My thinking without seeing the coin is that perhaps some type of grease or other matter got into the die right around the area of the date and affected the appearance of the third numeral.

      Reply
        • OK Mark, you have 2 options for getting the photo to us:

          1. If the photo(s) of your coin appears online, go ahead and just post the URL of the webpage where it’s published. You can also post the URL for the photo itself right here on the comments page for The Fun Times Guide to Coins

          2. An easier way for us to see your photo is for you to viisit our Fun Coins page on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/TheFunTimesGuideToCoins . ‘Like’ the Fun Coins page and then ‘attach’ your photos to a wall post there.

          Reply
          • Joshua I put the photos of the 1955 penny on the Fun Times Guide To Coins and addressed it to you.Thank you, Mark

          • joshua. i would like for you to take a guess & tell me what the 1955 wheat penny is worth. and i have got over 86,000 wheat pennies in antique jars,(bought at auction) that have not been went through since the 70,s. I would like to sell them. could you tell me the best way to sell.or someone that would like to buy them. thanks mark.

          • Wow, Mark — 86,000 wheat pennies! Well, I have 2 options for you about selling those, but first, as for that 1955 Lincoln cent, it depends if it’s a doubled die variety or not… A regular 1955 Lincoln cent is worth 2 to 3 cents. However, if there is doubling in the date and the lettering on the heads side of the coin (and it’s authentic) it could be worth $900 to $1,000 and up. Now, as for selling those 86,000 wheat cents. One common option for unloading tons of old wheat pennies is to sell them, without regard to date, in bags of 5,000 coins ($50 face value). Most dealers buy such lots for somewhere between $100 and $125 each. While this is, by far, the quickest method for selling coins, you might lose out on the value of any rare or semi-key dates that could be in all those coins.And that, therefore, introduces my second option: take your time and actually SEARCH each one of those Lincoln cents. This could take you a period of several hours to do, but if you find any special coins, you can sell those individually and then sell the common pieces in bulk lots (either rolls of 50 or bags of 5,000). I’d be happy to give you a heads up on the coins to look for. Just check out these links below: 7 Rare Lincoln Cents Semi-Key Lincoln CentsPlease check back if you have any more questions!

  7. i have a 1904 indian head penny that looks like it could have been stricken as an 1804. knowing they did not make these in 1804 what would something like this be worth?

    Reply
    • Hmm, Colby…

      Without seeing the coin I can’t say exactly what’s going on, but I can say that there is no noted overstrike varieties or errors I have ever seen involving the ‘9’ looking like an ‘8.’

      Is your coin porous? Maybe the metal has been damaged in the area and is making what appears to be a closed loop between the bottom and upper middle parts of the ‘9,’ though that’s purely a guess…

      Reply
  8. I have a penny that is not the same color as a regular penny,it has a gold tone look and I have never seen one quite like it before.I have showed it to a lot of people and got a lot of HMM’S and WOW’S.The coin was minted in 1982.
    Have any idea what metal could have been used to make it gold toned?
    Bill

    Reply
  9. Hey 16 and im kinda new to this stuff and i have a 1914D penny i think its kinda messed up on tha date part and i was wondering if a wheat penny has to have tha wheat stuff on tha back for it to be a wheat penny??

    Reply
    • Hi, Trev –Yes, a ‘wheat’ penny has to have the wheat stalks on the back for it to be a wheat penny; you’ll find a lot of coin collectors have different names for these coins — ‘wheaties,’ ‘wheat ear pennies/cents,’ wheat cents/pennies,’ etc. But, in every case, these terms all apply to U.S. cents made from 1909 to 1958 (except for 1909 Indian cents).As for your 1914-D cent, that’s q pretty rare penny worth at least $150. You did say, however, that yours looks ‘messed up on the date part.’ This concerns me because many (very common) 1944-D cents have been altered to look like 1914-D pennies. If there appears to be an unusually wide gap between the ‘9’ and the second ‘1’ in the date, you may have one of these altered pennies.There are ways to alter other coins to make a penny look like a 1914-D, including adding a ‘D’ mint mark to the common 1914 (no mintmark) cent.I hope this helps you. Please feel free to ask further questions if you need more assistance!

      Reply
      • Hi, my name is Stephanie. I am 16 and recently recieve a 1935 1 cent US wheet penny with my change. It is in good condition for its year, not shiny but very clean. How much would it be worth?

        Reply
        • Hi Stephanie,

          A typical circulated but nice-looking 1935 penny is worth around 10 to 25 cents. While that doesn’t sound like a whole lot for a coin that’s 75 years old, still hang onto it. Its value may increase in the future and it’s getting pretty difficult to find nice old wheat cents in circulation these days.

          Thanks for your question!

          Reply
  10. How much is a 1945 wheat penny with two I’s in LIBERTY and no mintmark? LIBERTY on my 1945 penny reads like this: IIBERTY. Angela Mccloud.

    Reply
  11. Mary LeBlanc
    I save my dimes for my grandson. As I was looking through my change and collecting my dimes I found a penny with the same silver or zinc color as a dime.
    The date is 1998 D. Is this an error or has the penny been altered.

    Reply
    • Hi, Mary —

      There are two possible explanations for that:

      1.) It’s an error. Pennies made since 1982 have a zinc core coated in copper. However, sometimes the copper coating isn’t placed on pennies in error. These can be worth $50 and up.

      2.) It’s altered. A common experiment done by school kids is to strip the coin of its copper using chemicals. This process removes all collector value from the coin.

      What should you do? Because it’s pretty hard to tell what happened to your coin without seeing it in hand (even a photo wouldn’t necessarily help in this case), your best option will be seeking the aid of a coin dealer who can examine the coin under a high-powered magnifying glass to check the coin.

      Using the Professional Numismatists Guild site is one of the best ways to look for a reputable coin dealer near you; here’s the link: https://www.pngdealers.com/dealersearch.php

      Reply
      • Thanks for chiming in, Parshooter. Yes, I did neglect to mention the dime possibility and I appreciate your contributing that point to the discussion; perhaps I didn’t notice any mention by the reader of the penny being smaller than average but, definitely, you’re exactly right. Any penny that looks ‘silver’ in color may have been struck on a dime planchet in error, thus resulting in a fairly valuable piece.

        Thanks for reading and sharing your insight!

        Reply
  12. I have two wheat pennys tha no one appear to know abbout. One nickel from 1956,bigger than normal”.the other very small and”blear
    ‘of copper. any help?Carlos

    Reply
  13. I have two wheat pennys tha no one appear to know abbout. One nickel from 1956,bigger than normal”.the other very small and”blear
    ‘of copper. any help?Carlos

    Reply
  14. Hi, Joshua–
    My name is Dawn and I have a 1926 wheat penny. It has been sliced on the side of it where liberty is and on the first letter of the word In, now the slice didnt cut any of the letters out and its a clean slice is my wheat penny worth anythang and what caused this?

    Reply
  15. Hi, Joshua–
    My name is Dawn and I have a 1926 wheat penny. It has been sliced on the side of it where liberty is and on the first letter of the word In, now the slice didnt cut any of the letters out and its a clean slice is my wheat penny worth anythang and what caused this?

    Reply
    • Yes, Hamadeali — each of your 1909 pennies is worth much MUCH more than face value.

      *Your 1909 penny is worth around $3.
      *The 1909 VDB has a value of around $10
      *And your 1909-S Lincoln cent has a value in the grade of Good of right around $100.

      Reply
    • A 1909 vdb in vg condition is worth approx. $10.00, U can sell on E-Bay, If it had a S on the front it would of been worth $700.00 to $3,000.

      Reply
  16. i have one 1914 wheat back penny plain good condition.i have one 1955-D wheat back in good condition.i also have one 1936 quarter in fair condition.i would like to sell. call 850-652 3015 if interested.yhanks

    Reply
  17. I Found in a old wheat Album a 1909 vdb Double Die Overse in MS Condition, anyone have an Idea what the coin is worth? tks

    Reply
  18. Hello Joshua. I am still trying to figure out what “obverse” means. I have a bunch of coins (not a collector, just picked up shiny things from youth) and one of these coins is a 1955 wheat penny…I researched it and just can’t figure out what it means. I have many others as well but have eliminated there being any value to them.

    I’m currently researching a 1952 with an S. I have a few from 1925 to 1958 but after actually looking into coins for the first time I had no idea how much is entailed…lol..a lot.

    Well, thanks. Any input is appreciated.

    Reply
    • Brandon,

      The “obverse” is also called the “heads side” by many people. You’ll probably come across the term “reverse,” too — that’s the “tail’s side.”

      A 1952-S wheat cent is worth around 3 to 5 cents, as are most Lincoln wheat cents from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.

      Please feel free to ask us any other questions you have!

      Reply
  19. I have some old Wheat Pennies, can seem to find out any thing about them…. I have a 1902 India head, a 1919, and a 1920.

    Reply
    • Lerae,

      The most valuable of those pennies is the 1902 Indian Head cent, worth around $2 to $5 in typical, undamaged worn grades.

      The 1919 and 1920 pennies are each worth around 15 cents.

      Reply
  20.  Hi! I’m currently doing a small research project. Basically I have to find something of value and infer how much it will cost within 200 years. I understand that this would be an extremely rough estimate, but I was wondering if you could guess how much a 1909 S wheat penny would be worth in around 200 years? This area of coins and pennies are definitely not in my expertise, and I was wondering if there is really any way to determine this value within a couple hundred years at all. Any help would be appreciated!

    Reply
    • Great project, Ryan!

      It’s really pretty difficult to determine with any accuracy whatsoever how much the 1909 S penny (did you mean the expensive one — with VDB on the reverse?) will be worth in 200 years. Most in the field shy away from speculating on values because the coin market is really volatile.

      However, here are some factors to consider….

      *There are millions of people who collect Lincoln pennies today, and there are probably 50,000 or more 1909-S VDB pennies existing in collectible condition, yet the coin is worth at least $1,000 even in low collectible grades.

      *Project potential demand for the 1909-S VDB penny in 200 years; demand versus supply is going to ultimately dictate how much the coin will be worth in two centuries.

      *Perhaps something to consider is how many people will even be collecting coins in 200 years. Hopefully, the hobby continues to grow, but as coin usage shrinks, so might coin collecting.

      While there’s absolutely no way to accurately determine what the value of the coin will be in 200 years, you could still make a pretty intelligent guesstimate based on:

      *An average rate of inflation
      *Population projections for 200 years from now
      *Assuming the coin will still have the appeal among coin collectors that it has today
      *Accounting for the inevitable loss of existing pieces in the decades to come

      Have fun with this project!!!!

      Good luck

      Reply
    • Firefighter,

      A regular 1969-S Lincoln cent that’s worn is worth only face value. If it’s a proof 1969-S penny (really shiny with mirror-like surfaces) it’s worth around $1 to $2.

      The rare 1969-S double die is a rare piece worth $50,000 or more; you’ll know you have a 1969-S double die cent because the date and lettering on the obverse (head’s side) look like they have ghost images. Here’s some more info on that coin and other valuable Lincoln Memorial cents: https://coins.thefuntimesguide.com/lincoln_penny/

      Reply
  21. what is the two centuries of indian pennies worth? it was designed by james b longacre and was in circulation from 1859 through 1909

    Reply
    • Liz,

      Let’s say a collection of Indian Head pennies consisted of one coin of each date without errors or special varieties, and each coin were in typical, circulated grades. Such a collection would be worth around $1,800 to $2,300.

      Reply
  22. il try this again i have a wheat penny i found it has the date of 1976 on it i think that this penny is rare  could u help me out with this have u ever heard of a penny like this and whats it worth thanks

    Reply
    • Fnix,

      It sounds like you have a novelty coin, because no such coin was ever struck by the United States Mint. Somebody interested in such curiosities may spend a couple dollars to purchase it.

      Reply
  23. I have a wheat penny dates 1898 how much is it worth I also have one 1909 and a few more not sure of dates but I like to know what they’re worth I’ll probably take them to a local coin place

    Reply
    • Darlene,

      A typical 1920 penny with an average amount of wear is worth 10 to 20 cents; however, If it were me, I’d hang onto the it if for nothing else than the fact it is a classic, old coin.

      Reply
  24. What would be the value of a Lincoln wheat cent with one wheat stalk on the front and only one wheat stalk on the reverse?  The last two digits of the date are missing because of the wheat stalk on the front.

    Reply
      • Here are photos of the front and back.  Wheat on front wipes out most of “Trust” on the front and “Unum” is missing from the back (along with one wheat).  There is nothing wrong with the top of the coin — that is just my poor picture taking.

        Reply
  25. From what I can tell of the coin, it could be that somebody squeeze another wheat cent on top of this one, perhaps with a vice, or it is the result of either a die clash (when both dies, obverse and reverse, make contact with each other. If the damaged die isn’t replaced, the result may be a coin like yours). Such errors are common and worth $1 to $5 to interested coin collectors.

    Reply
  26. i have a 1955 wheat penny  two of them actually . One is 1955 D and one is simply 1955. The one penny looks like lincoln is embossed on it,,the other dont as much. Are these worth anything? The dates are not boubled like pictured above. How can one get it graded? or any coins graded. I always kept the wheat pennies and I would like to look at them and see what any of them are worth.. in my pocket here (not my collection upstairs lol.. i have 1944,1941 and 1945 also.. I have others but dont know the dates til i pull them out.I also have a1906 Indian head penny any value to that? and also a 1914 Wheat penny (can barely see date on penny and its stamped with a K over it , whats that all about?

    Reply
  27. I have a penny that Is blank on both sides. Does anyone know anything about it, do this happen alot in a certain year or something? Thanks for any info on it…

    Reply
  28. i have a wheat penny 1945d shiny with lincoln head on one side and a small lincoln head on the other along with the wheat looks brand new. is ther any value to this penny

    Reply
    • Maggiemay,

      Thanks for your question. The 1924 Lincoln penny without the “D” is more common than the type with the “D” and is worth around 10 cents.

      Reply
  29. i have a 1919 wheat penny and it looks like it
    has been double stamp with image and another
    image on top of that but it only goes to about the
    middle of the coin 

    Reply
    • There were no S mintmarks on 1956 Lincoln cents, so I can’t say without seeing the coin what might be causing the appearance of an extra marking under or around the D.

      Reply
  30. Was there ever a wheat penny purposefully struck with a single large wheat stalk wrapped around a “1” on the back?  The front is very dirty and worn but looks like a Lincoln profile.   David

    Reply
    •  Hmm, there is no such coin struck at the U.S. Mint that way, but please feel free to post a photo here in the comments forum so we can take a look and see if it might be a recognizable token of some sort.

      Reply
    • Rbbb,

      About $1 to $3 in typical worn grades for the 1898 Indian Head penny and 10 cents for the 1936 Lincoln wheat cent. Thanks for your question!

      Reply
  31. I just found a bag of wheat pennies belonging to my grandfather. There are about 1200 total. I made the mistake of cleaning them with water and Lime Away. How much does this devalue the pennies?

    Reply
    • Fishnmart,

      That really depends on the individual condition of each coin, but I can tell you off the bat that the typical cleaned coin is often worth only half of it’s uncleaned value.

      Reply
  32. Hi Joshua,

    Havent been on here much lately but im still kinda up todate with some of your reponds to others with my e-mail over the past 4 years that i have started collecting coins i have build up alot i have found a few coins that my mother R.I.P GOD rest her soul btw but any ways i have found 2 coins that might have been priates gold they look just like each picture that i have found on them and I was wondering if u know anything about them if you have any better information than what I have found please let me know. Thanks ever so much.
    Dawn:)

    Reply
  33. How try is it that wheat pennies 1940’s ,1950’s , and 1960’s do not have mints marks and are considered  Philly mints ? Thanks Jim

    Reply
    • Jim,

      That’s because the Philadelphia mint has always been the main mint and thus, for most of the U.S. Mint’s history it was thought by mint officials and also customary that a mintmark was not needed for coins stuck there. This has changed in recent decades, when now all U.S. coins, except the penny, have a “P” mintmark.

      Reply
  34. I HAVE THE 1914 WHEAT PENY I CONSIDER TO BE IN THE LOWEST GRADE IF THIS MEANS THE CONDITION. IT IS PITTED AND WORN SMOOTH YET THE DATE AND D MINT CAN BE SEEN ALONG WITH THE WHEAT LEAF DESINGS. SOME LETTERING OF IN GOD WE TRUST, LIBERTY,AND UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. ANYONE INTERESTED. CONTACT ME.

    Reply
  35. hey josh i have a 1902 inndian head front wheat stocks on back, was wondering about it’s value . what do u think it’s wourth…………

    thanks ,chopperz2000

    Reply
    • Hi, Abby –

      This sounds like an altered coin, most likely used either as a piece of jewelry or a magician’s coin. Such a piece really has no monetary value to coin collectors.

      Reply
  36. I found a 1979 lincoln penny with a star or currency looking stamp in the coin above date. Let me know what you think! Thanks David

    Reply
    • What you have is a counterstamped coin. This means it is a real coin that was stamped by a private individual or minting company. Your piece may be worth around $1 to a novelty coin collector.

      Reply
    • Jessica,

      In typical worn condition, your 1919 cent is worth around 10 cents while the 1940 is valued at around 5 cents.

      Reply
    • Michael,

      Until 1908, all Indian Head cents were made at the Philadelphia mint, which didn’t place a mintmark on any of its coins at the time.

      Reply
    • Waterfalliz,

      your 1905 Indian Head cent is worth between $2 and $5 if it is in typical, worn condition.

      Reply
  37. I have a 1969 D Lincolyn penny that appears to be missing the word “IN” from IN GOD WE TRUST & the letter “L” in LIBERTY.The letters “UST”  in TRUST are very faint. The reverse of the coin is in great readable shape. Is this an odd coin? I have had it in my old piggy banks for over 40 years & just started digging through to roll. Any answer as to why this penny would be missing letters. 

    Reply
    • Sissy,

      It sounds like your penny was weakly struck. This is a fairly common issue and your coin may be worth $1 to $5 to error coin collectors.

      Reply
  38. im just getting into coin collecting so bare with me i found a 1989 no mint mark double die coin but u cant see it unless u look under a magnafier and its only sum of the words not all could i be seeing things

    Reply
    • Beauti,

      There are many 1983 pennies that look yellow in appearance because zinc interfered with the copper plating. These so-called “Brass cents” are worth a very small premium over regular Lincoln cents and are worth around 50 cents to $1.

      Reply
    • Hi, Hank –

      I would make sure it weighs 3.1 grams and does NOT stick to a magnet before even getting excited. Then, check the date and make sure the font looks EXACTLY like that of steel 1943 pennies (sometimes 1948 pennies or those of other dates are altered to look like 1943 pennies). If that checks out, consider sending your coin off to a third party coin grading company. Here’s some additional info on that: https://coins.thefuntimesguide.com/slabbed_coins/

      Reply
  39. Hi, Juan –

    A 1944 penny with any mintmark (letter under the date, either D for Denver or S for San Francisco) is worth around 5 cents.

    Reply
  40. Hi, I know that the 1955 wheat penny is the one with double die, however, I have a 1955 – D where the Donly is double die. I bought it years ago and if you look at it the D is clearly double. Is there such a penny?

    Reply
    • Hi,

      It sounds like you have a 1955-D with a repunched mintmark. This variety is worth around $1 to $2 per specimen.

      Reply
  41. i have a 1940 penny and the Y in liberty is bent up across the T and i cant find one like this any were could you help on this matter ..thank you

    Reply
  42. My mother says she has an old wheat penny with an Indian head and believes it is dated 1894? What are your thoughts on value of this wheat penny?

    Reply
  43. I have two wheat pennies which I believe may be valuable  They are dated 1942 and 1940. Both are copper in color, however the 1940 penny has a reddish-brown coloring which I can best describe it as burnt red. Neither penny sticks to a magnet. Do I have something?

    Reply
    • Elisa,

      While your 1940 and 1942 pennies aren’t rare and are worth around 5 cents each, they are of the obsolete wheat ears design and definitely worth hanging onto for the future.

      Reply
  44. hey i have a 1914 penny with this little mark on the back of the penny inside the left hand side leaf.. have you seen that anything like that or is it just some kind of a scaratch cuz i couldnt really read it verywell

    Reply
  45. Hi, I have a 1943 steel that is in pretty good shape. I know they are not really worth a lot, but are nice to have apart of a collection. My question is concerning errors/double dies. On this coin the last in the word trust has an imprint right to the left. See photo… Not sure what to make of it. Any insight would be great! Please note that this is the best photo i could get with my iphone 🙂

    Reply
    • Hi, Frankster –

      Hmm… I’m not aware of any such doubled die, and it’s likely die damage. I did some research to double check this and cannot find any evidence of there being a notable doubled die for 1943 cents that shows that type of doubling in the area of TRUST.

      Reply
  46. It’s amazing how rare certain pennies are. I actually have a genuine 1943 copper penny I’ve been given by grandparents that passed coins down. My grandmother still has another one. They collected every penny made from all mints and stopped collecting when my grandfather got sick in 1978.

    Reply
  47. i have a 1909 vdb in very fine condition not so shiny but nice sharp detail what do you think the value is?

    Reply
  48. I have a wheat penny that was misstruck.
    The wheat side is perfect but the face is blank and inset.
    how would I determine the date and v alue?

    Reply
  49. Hannah,

    Sounds like you’re describing a coin that was used as a magician’s piece. Such a coin really has no numismatic value.

    Reply
  50. i have a 1907penny with i guest is the wheat on the back with the eagle shield up top and one cent in middle and on the front is indian chief. is it worth anything

    Reply
  51. i have a one cent from 1899 n real good condition..has an indian on 1 side n the other a wheat..what is it worth? ive asked this so many times n no ones giving me an answer

    Reply
  52. I have a 1909 S Penny and a 1914 D VG, slightly pitted….where can i find out more about these pennies and what their value is?  thanks!

    Reply
  53. sorry india head wheat pennies cllection frm.1888to1899, collection frm 1900t01909,
    also lin.cop.cents,1921,-23,-24) 1932, 39) 1945, 51, 55, 60)&lincon ,cent1943d+s)
    standing liberty1926s quater)  1937,1928,, buffalo indianhead nickles  1944 liberty dime)1942, 65,68 liberty quaters

    Reply
  54. I HAVE A COLLECTION OF PENNIES IN A PLASTIC CASE…IT CONTAINS A 1919,1927,1933,1943(STEEL),1959,1963,1979,1981,1984…CAN SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT IT MAY BE WORTH

    Reply
    • Hi, Sherrine –

      You have a regular 1942 Lincoln cent made in Philadelphia (which does not strike mintmarks on coins), and it’s worth around 5 cents in typical, worn condition.

      Reply
  55. I have a 1944 lincoln cent with a 9, or s on back of penny under America, between the wheat marks. What is that??

    Reply
    • D,

      It sounds like somebody etched the “9” or “s” after it left the mint, which makes this an altered coin and, thus, not worth any more than face value in this case.

      Reply
  56. Hi I have a copper Lincoln cent don’t know the year. But it’s half printed any ideas if it’s worth any thing?

    Reply
  57. i have a 1923  peace dollar  the mint mart is on frount not on back by eagle plus it it double marked , i was told. could you give me any idea of worth ?

    Reply
  58. i have a 1956 wheat pennie that looks like zink and has a silver band around it like it came off a bracelet or something any thouhgs

    Reply
  59. I have a 1909 wheat penny with vdb in very fine condition with very little wear marks but I’m jus not sure where I should go to sell it or who might b interested in buying it. What should I do?

    Reply
  60. I have a 1909 vdb wheat penny in very fine condition but I dont know who to take it too to sell it. What should I do?

    Reply
  61. I  have a 1943 steel penny that might be marked with a D but its hard to make out. Any idea what it is worth if it is a D?

    Reply
  62. I have a 1955d wheat penny that lookd like s double die reverse if that makes any sense.  Every part of the penny has the same imprint in reverse over it.  Anyone seen anything like this?

    Reply
    • Would you please post a pic of your 1955 Lincoln cent here in the forums section for us to look at? We may be able to make a determination as to what it is with an image. Thanks!

      Reply
  63. I have a 1914 penny but it is smaller than a dime and is very shiny like it was just made. Could it be a fake. It has wheat on the back of it

    Reply
  64. do you do anything with paper money? I have a very small bill…looks to be asian, not typical size red with a truck on the back.

    Reply
  65. I Have A Penny That Has The Lincoln Memorial On Both Sides Of It But On Just ONE Side Is Abraham Lincoln’s Profile On It.. It’s From 1964.. How Much Is It Worth? And It’s Concave Shaped.

    Reply
    • Bri,

      You have some type of novelty coin. Such a piece is interesting to look at, but it is not mint made and really has no monetary value above face.

      Reply
  66. I have a 1902 Indian Head penny unc toned and it looks like it has an L what is it worth? And do they come with L i can’t find it in any of my books.Thanks Joel

    Reply
    • Joel,

      A toned, uncirculated 1902 Indian cent is worth around $25 to $50 based on exact grade. The “L” is the initial for James Longacre, who designed the Indian cent.

      Reply
  67. Pennyboy,

    It may have been dropped in acid, which would owe to the coin’s very tiny thickness. If that’s the case, the coin has no value over face.

    Reply
    • Hi, R –

      The value depends on the series year as well as the bill’s condition. In general, double-stamped currency has a value if at least $25 to $50.

      Reply
  68. I’ve got a few large jars just full of coins!  I know there’s some wheat pennies in there, and buffalo nickels, and who knows what else?!

    How should an average joe like me go through these jars before just taking them to the bank?? :

    Reply
  69. i have a 1990 85%zinc/15%copper penny with no mercury. it’s silverish colored. tested on a element tester….what is it worth?

    Reply
  70. These are the names of coins I have for sale.

    One Coin Two and Half Cent Minted Dominican Franco in 1888.
    A Ten Cent Coin Minted Dominican Franco in 1897
    Come One Cent Coin Minted Dominican Franco in 1897.
    A Coin Minted One Peso Dominican Franco in 1897.
    A Coin Minted in 1949 Palmita.
    FOREIGN:
    One Coin Five Cent Come and Reyna Isabel De Real Minted in 1862.
    A penny of Dollar Minted in 1902.
    A penny of Dollar Minted in 1944.
    A penny of Dollar Minted in 1953.
    One Coin Five Dollar Penny Minted in 1898.
    A Commemorative Coin One Dollar 1776-1976.
    Three Coins of One Dollar 1971, 1977 and 1979.
    Two Coins Half Dollar 1974 and 1990.
    A penny Canadian Dollar Minted in 1927.

    Reply
    • Daniel,

      Do you mean “red” as in it is an unciruclated piece with orange surfaces? Such a piece is worth anywhere form $70 to $100 and up. However, if you have a worn 1900 Indian cent, its value is closer to $2 to $5.

      Reply
  71. 1941 wheat penny ..its not copper or steel …but either zinc or silver..magnet will not pick it up but its lighter then a reg copper 1941 so it wouldnt be plated also has not signs of wear showing any other metal underneath.I have seen a few other posts about it and people not being able to find prices on it …so i am curious the value in it.

    Reply
  72. yes i have a 1904 Indian head double die on the reverse.. the “ONE” is doubled. i cant seem to find any other double dies in the indian head penny era.. how much do you tthink that it is worth??

    Reply
  73. I have a 1956 D Wheat Penny that seems to be gold plated (At least looks gold or something of that color). I have no clue why or what it could be. It is honestly has the color and shine of a gold ring.

    Reply
    • Jon,

      Somebody gold-plated that coin to commemorate a special occasion of some sort, most likely. The value of the gold is nominal (probably less than a dollar).

      Reply
  74. Two Questions: I am new to coin collecting but find it ABSOLUTELY fascinating.
    NUMBER 1: I found a 1922 No D penny. I looked it up and the Number 2 die is the one that is worth something…If mine is the Number 2 1922 No D Penny, how much would it be worth?
    NUMBER 2: I found a 1964 No Mint Mark (which means it was minted in Philadelphia?) but there is 9 in 1964 is messed up…could this be worth something or an error that you have heard of?

    Reply
  75. I have a 1914d penny, however the 1 before the 4 is noticably longer (elongated top & bottom) than the 1 before the 9.
    Any idea?

    Reply
  76. after searching thousands of whets i found gold. it is a 1958 ddo dd in/in god we trust dd in liberty. has any of these coins ever sold at auction. and do you have any idea of the value of this coin . it is in very good condition maybe ms-55++/66. ive got a lot of wows over it. i am sending the coin to PCGS how much insurance should i bye for it. Some one please respond. I need information. thanks.

    Reply
  77. I have several wheat pennies from 1930 D and 1935 D the oldest one is a 1917 S also 1942 D and 1943 S and few more. Just Wondering if I should find out more.

    Reply
  78. Hi I have inherited several old coin collections & not sure the value, I would like to get rid of them as my husband has been very ill with serious health conditions. Would you be intrested in purchasing them or no someone who is. We don’t have anyone local I can take them to but I would be happy to e-mail you some pics of them with a description. Just let me know. Thanks

    Reply
    • Hi, Staci –

      If there are no coin dealers in your area, your best bet may be selling them on eBay; there’s the possibility that you may receive more money for your coins from eBay buyers than you would from a coin dealer.

      We wish all our best to your husband.

      Reply
  79. i have a 1982 lincoin doubled die and 1994 lincoin weak date or error dont know what, do they have value? i have a 1864 2 cents with the front and back facing the same way not reversed worth anything?

    Reply
  80. I have a 1974 76 and a 1993 dimes all three d mint on the back where it says e-pluribusunum on the 1976 the usu is not there and on the 74 and 93 the first u and the s is not there did i find something or did i just collect thirty cents.

    Reply
  81. I have a 1937 wheat penny that the 19 on the date is a blob, you can barely make out the numbers, yet the 37 and perfect. Is it worth anything?

    Reply
    • Jenni,

      The “19” being blobby may come from a defect in minting. Normally, these types of issues don’t add any value to the coin.

      Reply
  82. I have a 1937 penny and the 19 in a blob that you can’t really read, yet the 37 is perfect. Have you ever seen one like this?

    Reply
  83. I have a native Indian cent it is a 1909 its my understanding it was before the Lincoln penny e- pluribusunum is not on the coin . Can you tell me why and is the coin of any value

    Reply
  84. Karen,

    Lincoln appeared on the one cent coin in 1909 as a celebration of the centennial of Lincoln’s birth. the design was popular and has remained there ever since.

    A 1909 Indian Head cent is worth around $1 and $2 in typical, circulated condition.

    Reply
    • Hi, Randy –

      While this list includes 7 of the most popular Lincoln cent rarities, you’re right; the 1944 steel cent is a highly sought-after piece that routinely commands six-figure prices.

      Reply
  85. I have a 1909-S-VDB that as a kid I found in circulation about 55 years ago. The VDB is distinct although there’s a nick in the coin where it is. How much would that effect value ?

    Reply
    • Tigerlily,

      Wow, finding that 1909-S VDB in pocket change all those years ago must have been an incredible feeling!

      Unfortunately, nicks always mean a reduction in value, but having on right on the VDB, especially on the San Francisco cent, will probably knock a good percentage of value from the coin; perhaps 10 to 20 percent or more.

      However, only a sight-seen appraisal from a coin dealer would provide the exact details on price that you are probably looking for.

      Reply
  86. I have just received my dead grandfathers coin collection of over 400 coins dating back to 1926—maybe even older. I haven’t looked at all of them yet. Pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, 1/2 dollars and dollars. Some are in cases. Some are wheat backs and Indian coins. Most have already been authenticated.

    Reply
  87. I found a 1990 penny that has no mint mark and the edge is a silver color on the back the memorial is silver and one cent is silver color it kinda looks like the lower part is cooper color with the imprint being silver color

    Reply
  88. Believe it or not…I’m having trouble putting certains rolls of dated nickels together.
    I’ve been collecting since I was 14 and now have most of the later dated rolls completed.
    It seems that the 1967 and 1971 nickels have all but disappeared into the hands of hoarders on speculation their prices will rise. What’s that all about?? The 1958 plain Jefferson is tough to find as well.

    Reply
  89. Hi, Charles –

    It seems the word is out on nickels the last few years. As I recall, nickels of all dates were pretty readily available in pocket change going back to the 1940s and 1950s. Today, “old” nickels are getting to be those from the 1960s and 1970s, with pieces dating before 1964 extremely difficult to locate anymore.

    Reply
    • Hi, Karin –

      The 1914 and 1920 Lincoln cents have a value of around 15 to 20 cents each, whereas the 1934 and 1958 are each worth about 5 to 10 cents.

      Reply
  90. I have 5 1943 wheat back pennies one with a D and one with a S and 3 with just the date, the 3 on the date doesn’t look like a half of a eight and I ran a magnate over them and they stuck to it. Anyone know if they are worth anything or not

    Reply
  91. I have 5 1943 wheat back pennies, one with a s and one with a D and the other 3 just dates the 3 on the date doesn’t look like a 8 cut in half and when I run a magnate over them they all stick to it. My mom before she passed about 12 years ago gave me a container with atleast a hundred wheat backs so I just opened it and started looking at the dates.

    Reply
  92. I bought at auction to day a 1958 wheat pennie that looks to be struck on a nickle planchet it is laarger than a pennie and slightly smaller than a nickle but is nickle in apperance any Idea what it could be worth

    Reply
  93. Hi … I came across this page when I found a coin collection that I was given by an elderly neighbor when I was 6 years old .. This collection has been put away for 30 years now. There is a 1909 penny in a cardboard like protective case with plastic of the coin making it viewable. How can I tell if it has any value? There are also tons of Quarters with the drummer boy on the back and many other coins from different countries dating to the early 1900’s ..I found 2- $2.oo bills with red #’s and dated 1953B then a few more from the 70’s .. Where is the best place to have these coins looked at or valued?

    Reply
    • what 1909 are you talking about? theres the 1909 SVDB that can go for atleast $750-2000 a 1909 S penny could go for around $100-$150 a 1909 VDB could fetch i’d say $50-$150 and also the quarter you’re talking about is a bicentennial quarter they don’t go for much probably a dollar or two the $2.00 bills in uncirculated condition i heard could bring up to $200

      Reply
  94. I have the following, all circulated..
    1936
    1939
    1941
    1942 D
    1944 D
    2-1945
    1948 D
    1950 D
    2-1951 D
    1954 D
    2-1955 D
    4-1956 D
    1957 D
    4-1958 D…
    Is there any money coming to me at all? I have looked them up, but I’m hoping that you have a better, more valuable answer for me!!! LMK. Thanks

    Reply
    • Hi, Steph –

      Each steel penny is worth around 10 cents to $1, the 1979 (? there were made from 1916 to 1947, so I’m not sure what year exactly you have, but any Walking Liberty half dollar is worth $8 and up due to silver value alone), a 1921 Morgan dollar is worth around $30, and a 1903 Indian Head cent is worth around $2.

      Reply
  95. I have a 1958D Double Die Date and can not found anything on it other a 1958 DD. All 4 numbers and the D are clearly double stamped but the Liberty and and In God we Trust is not. Is this a valueabe penny?

    Reply
    • Hi, Coingal,

      While there is record of a 1958 doubled die cent (no D mintmark), a coin of which only two examples are known to exist and could fetch around $100,000 each, far more common would be coins of that year exhibiting machine doubling, a type of damage in which a coin is double struck.

      Reply
    • Hi, Arthur –

      It sounds like your coin was either weakly struck or, perhaps, there was some debris in the part of the die where the fourth digit is. Usually, these types of coins don’t carry much, if any, premium over face value for coins of the age yours is.

      Reply
    • Hi, Rhena –

      I’ve seen a lot of older pennies like this, and the usual situation is that the thickness had been eroded away due to corrosion.

      Reply
  96. questions-
    1.I have a 1940 wheat penny. No mint mark and it is in good condition.What is it worth?
    2.Does polishing a coin decrease, its value?

    Reply
    • Hi, E.C. –

      1. Your 1940 Lincoln cent is worth a little over face value at around 5 to 10 cents.

      2. Yes, polishing a coin not only decreases its value, it actually damages the coin because it wears away its metal and protective patina. To best protect your coin, the best thing to do is leave it as it is and protect it by keeping it in a cool, dry place away from fumes such as sulfur.

      Reply
  97. I need to find out some info. I have a penny which I obtained many many many years ago, get ready for this: tail side is a wheat, head side is dated 1959, has a ring around it as though it can open, when opening it it show a 1954 mercury dime. Does anybody have any knowledge of such a coin……..if so I sure would like to know. You can e-mail me at TimLockman@hotmail.com Thanks in advance. Oh of course there’s more to the story. Tim

    Reply
    • Hi, Tim –

      You have coin jewelry; more specifically, it’s a type of locket that a crafty person made probably 40 or 50 years ago.

      Reply
    • Hi, Jason –

      It could have been a filled die that would cause that error; if that’s the case with your coin, there is a slight premium that would be paid by those who collect coins with filled die issues.

      Reply
  98. I have a 1950 S Weat Penny that has a EN in mirror image accross Lincolns face and a strike straight across the back. Have any idea if it is worth anything? It also has strike marks as though it was off centered on the sides.

    Reply
    • Hi,

      It sounds like this may be post mint damage, but just to make sure, may we see an image of your coin? You may post the image here in the comments forum. Thanks!

      Reply
  99. Question re the 1942 Lincoln pennies (i.e. NOT the 1943 steel ones):

    Is there an easy way to tell which were made from the traditional bronze, and which were technically brass (when the Mint apparently began removing almost all the tin to help with the war effort)? I’ve read that the 1942 pennies are a mix of both compositions, but haven’t found in what proportions, or if there’s a simple way to distinguish between the two. Is the mint of origin a factor? Is there a noticeable color difference?

    Any advice appreciated.
    Thanks,
    John B.

    Reply
    • Hi, John –

      Great question. The vast majority of 1942 Lincoln cents were made without tin; in fact, most Lincoln cents made that year were struck before August. I know that the U.S. Mint was experimenting with other metals later that year, resulting in the steel cents of 1943. Brass Lincoln cents are usually more of a golden color than bronze pennies, but since most 1942 cents are pretty well worn and have turned browner in color, I’d suppose it would be harder to tell worn brass pennies from those that are bronze, hypothetically. I think a metallurgist would be able to decipher between the two alloys in the case of well-worn pennies.

      Reply
  100. Hello my name is Erica i be been collecting wheat pennies for my daughter I have one that’s a 1958 d penny and the others are 2 of the 1944 and 1945 1954 but those ones don’t have a s or a d how rare are these

    Reply
  101. Hi Is there such thing of a 1941 silver penny ? A friend of mine found one he thought it was a 1943 steel penny ! Is it a rare coin ? as far as I know there were no 1941 silver pennys made am i right ?

    Reply
  102. I was also wondering if you could point me in the direction of some US coin sales I am looking specifically for a 20 cent piece and a half dime. then I will have at least 1 of every coin value made in the US

    Reply
  103. i have a 1942 wheat penny and the lincoln appears to be upside down.. (copper i think.. does not stick to a magnet) is it worth anything?

    Reply
  104. Maybe someone can help me, I acquire a few rolls of wheat pennies that were rolled in the 50’s and came across a 1942 silver penny. It’s not magnetic and shines like a dime. Can’t find any info on this. Is this a mint error or a prank from the Happy Days. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Hello, Travis –

      Without seeing a photo of the coin it is hard to say for certain what happened with you coin, but I can tell you that in modern coin making (and 1942 is definitely modern in terms of coin minting methods), striking just one side of a coin is virtually impossible. so it is therefore likely that your coin may have been mutilated. If you can post a photo of your coin, please, I will check it out and check for any signs of damage on the reverse (tails side) to see what is going on.

      Reply
  105. Hi,

    I have a quite a few coins I would like you to look at. Any offers for them would be great – but in reasonable price I am looking to sell them for. These pictures are scanned at 1200 DPI resolution for a extreme closeup if necessary. I just came across this website and scanned the coins today. My email address is tekgovi@gmail.com, if you’re interested. I have a few other coins too.

    I have a 1943 D steel penny. (sticks to a magnet):

    I have no clue whats on it, looks like dirt or something- but it has been in my family for years.

    1944 S Penny – came across that penny today! I couldn’t believe it! – had that in the penny jar for a long time I guess. I went through all the pennies and found this one lol!

    Any idea on the value for both of them?

    thanks 🙂

    KD

    Reply
    • Hi, Kelly –

      Nice images! Thanks for uploading them. While both of your Lincoln cents are worth 10 to 20 cents, they are still worth hanging onto. They are definitely becoming scarcer in circulation, first of all, and secondly, in the case of the 1943-D steel penny, it has been in your family for some time and therefore has a story of its own to tell.

      Reply
      • cool! Now I have other pictures – let me know what you think of them:

        1973 D clipped penny and a 1943 liberty dime. As usual both sides are shown in these pics.

        Thanks 🙂

        Reply
          • That’s a gorgeous example of a circulated Mercury dime, Kelly. It’s worth around $3 to $5. The clipped Lincoln cent is worth somewhere between $5 and $10. Thanks for your question and for the great photos. They really help!

  106. I have a1919 d, and 1945 d, and 1951 d, 1929 no letter, 1946 no letter, and there all wheat back penny’s what am I looking at. thank you

    Reply
    • Hello,

      It looks like the back of your coin, according to the photo you sent, has some type of film on it, which lends to the silvery appearance you mentioned. Your 1920 cent in that condition is worth a few cents.

      Reply
    • Hi, Jaime –

      It looks like a weakness in the strike there. This is a somewhat common phenomenon and is really more of a curiosity than anything of extra value.

      Reply
  107. Hi there, I came across this 1957 D Wheat Penny with what looks to be a clogged “B” & “9”. Is it worth anything?

    ~Lissa

    Reply
    • Hi, Lissa –

      This looks like signs of a worn die to me; the value of such a piece could be around $5 to $10 to interested coin collectors.

      Reply
      • Hi Josh,

        Thank you for the info! That’s actually cool to know. I’ve recently decided to go through a stack of pennies that I have cast aside because they looked odd. And it is quickly becoming a fun and interesting hobby for me. Glad I found this forum 🙂

        Reply
        • Lissa,

          Thank you for your comments! Have fun going through those pennies and let us know if ou have any questions whatsoever!

          Good luck!

          Reply
      • Thanks Josh. I had searched before, but could never find any pricing on error coins. I also have an error $10 bill. I’ll upload a pic of it when I get a moment. Thanks again…

        Reply
  108. Hi again, here’s another Lincoln Cent I found. Is it me or does it look like there’s a double line along Lincoln’s beard? Any thoughts on that? Is it an error?

    Reply
    • Hi, Logan –

      All told, your coins are worth a total of around 20 to 30 cents, but are definitely worth hanging onto as they are becoming much scarcer in circulation.

      Reply
  109. Not sure of the year but what do i got here? Haha reverse shows very bold with red color to it. The obverse well, hope yall can tell me.

    Reply
  110. I have a 1940 D wheat penny with the 0 misprinted. It looks like a C almost. I also have a 1940 plain without the D. Would you know the vaule?

    Reply
    • Hi, Nancy –

      Would you mind posting a photo of your coin here on the message board so we can take a better look? Thanks!

      Reply
  111. I have a 1944 british half penny with a sail boat on the back and nothing on the front I wanted to see if i could find the value of this coin?

    Reply
    • Hi, Mark –

      The zinc core within the Lincoln cent was exposed through what appears to be rubbing against a very harsh surface. Your coin is worth face value.

      Reply
    • Hello, Mark –

      It appears there may be some type of doubling in the the first five letters of “LIBERTY” but I can’t tell for sure from the image. Machine doubling (which is not the same as a doubled die) was a fairly frequent situation in the 1970s, but I can’t say for certain if this is machine doubling or a doubled die. What I would do is register this coin (for free) at CONECA (Combined Organizations of Numismatic Error Collectors of America) and see if they can attribute this as a doubled die variety.

      Here is their link: https://conecaonline.org/

      Good luck!

      Reply
    • Hi, Mark –

      I see what may be machine doubling in the letters. If so, that wouldn’t really add any value to the coin, but it is still an interesting novelty and is a coin I would still keep.

      Thanks for your question!

      Reply
  112. I have a 1940 s wheat penny that is stamped on a dime blank but only the copper portion of the dime blank. The penny is very thin and exactly the same size of a dime. Have you ever heard or seen such a penny?.

    Reply
    • Ken,

      There are such things as pennies struck on dime coin blanks, but would you mind sending us a photo so we can verify the error and help provide a more accurate estimate?

      Reply
      • Hi, Ken –

        This is a bit of a stumper, as dimes of that era were made with silver and thus a dime planchet that was struck with a Lincoln cent die would still appear to have the typical lightness in color of a dime; in this photo, the coin appears to have a coppery appearance that would be expected of normal copper cents from that era. What it looks more like to me is a Lincoln cent struck on a foreign coin blank, which is highly possible given the fact the United States Mint was striking foreign coins during the early 1940s to handle increased supply due to service personnel stationed in various nations throughout the world during World War II.

        If it is in fact the case that this coin was struck on a foreign coin planchet (and I highly think this to be the case), then you might want to get your coin certified and graded by a third-party coin grading company and have them attribute the blank after officially weighing and measuring it in person.

        Reply
    • Hi Joshua. I thought I would give you and update.. I sent pictures to Fred Weinberg an expert…..This is what he had to say…Your cent has been chemically treated,

      otherwise known as ‘acid treated’, to
      give

      it the apearance you see.

      It’s a damaged/altered coin, and not a mint

      error of any type……

      sorry to be the bearer of bad news on
      it.

      Fred… Well I tend to think otherwise. This coin has been in a collection from back in the 50’s when the gentleman passed away.. Back then I don’t think many people would have tried to alter a coin to look like this. People didn’t much think about error coins. Do you think it was chemically treated? I think acid would have altered it a little different.. The coin weighs 1 gram and still retains the detail. I am puzzled!

      Reply
      • Hi, Ken –

        After hearing that your Lincoln cent weighs in at just 1 gram, I’m inclined to agree that it was not struck on a dime planchet, as those weighed 2.5 grams at the time (1940s). While Lincoln cents of any era have been dipped in acid, it is also possible that your coin may have been struck on a foreign coin planchet, as the U.S. Mint was striking coins for other nations at the time. However, I am not aware of any copper foreign coin from that era (that we would have struck) that would have weighed just 1 gram.

        Reply
    • Hello, Lee Ann –

      I believe, without seeing your coin in person, that it is most likely a regular 1955 Lincoln cent that was plated with zinc. This is a popular novelty, which is supposed to echo the appearance of the 1943 zinc-plated steel pennies. Pennies that have been plated by private entities are considered altered and such pieces are typically worth only face value.

      Reply
  113. Hi Joshua, I am curious about what you think about these coins? What do you think may have caused the imperfections? Especially with the two pennies. The 1992 penny has a sort of raised dotted lin on Lincoln’s jacket. And the 1993 penny looks likeLincoln’s bust has a double outline. Are these unique?

    Reply
    • Hi, Lissa –

      In the case of the two dimes, the obliteration of parts of IN GOD WE TRUST was caused by either a weak die impression or machine damage. The 1993-D cent appears to have a tarnish spot over the D mintmark. However, the 1992-D Lincoln cent appears to have a really interesting deviation that looks like it was caused by die defect, most likely a type of die cud, I believe. This could be worth a few dollars to collectors interested in error coins.

      Thank you for your question, Lissa!

      Reply
    • Hi, Olivia –

      That sounds like some type of post-mint addition, which would make your coin a novelty coin. Are the BE in some type of logo form, or just etched into the coin?

      Reply
    • Hi, Charles,

      There is value, but it’s hard to say without knowing the dates of your Indian cents and Buffalo nickels. Your 1943 steel cent, however, is worth around 20 cents.

      Reply
    • Hi, Darnise –

      The total value of those five Lincoln wheat cents is about 15 to 20 cents. Thanks for your question!

      Reply
  114. My daughter found what appears to be a 1957 wheat penny that is printed on a nickel size coin and it silver in color. It that possible?

    Reply
    • Hi there, Tammy!

      Yes, an 1855 large cent is indeed worth something greater than face value. In general, a problem-free large cent that is heavily worn is worth around $15 to $30, though the value is higher if wear is light and the coin has a nice, original, chocolate brown color.

      Reply
  115. Hey there Josh, you seem to be the go to guy for wheat penny’s, I’ve collected 73 wheat penny’s, 31 Canadian (ever since they stopped circulating theirs I’ve been collecting them just in case), 2 buffalo nickels one is 1927 and the other is too faded to tell, and a 1876 10 Pfennig Deutsches Reich, do you know of any sites that would be interested in purchasing my coins other than selling them via craigs list or ebay? I don’t have any pictures at the moment but i could get a photo of the wheat all laid out front and back in one shot if you can zoom in and see them well enough. I’ll post a picture of the German coin for you.

    Reply
  116. Also I’ve found this coin and I have no idea what it is, 1885 The Educator, extremely light, I have a feeling it is a Free Mason coin. I cant find anything about it online so I hope you have some insight on this.

    Reply
    • Hi, James!

      Yes, your 1907 Indian cent and 1854 large cent do have collector value. Your 1907 Indian Head cent is worth $3 to $5. The 1854 large cent is worth $10 to $20.

      Reply
  117. Hi Joshua, I found this strange 2005 Jefferson 5 cent. At first I thought it was an old worn out coin. But then realized it was a 2005 5 cent. What do you think might have caused this? Is it a lamentation error, you think?

    Reply
    • Hi, Lissa –

      Ordinarily, with lamination errors, it appears as if a “layer” of the coin is peeling off at least a portion of the piece. I don’t however seem to see any indication of that here. What it appears to be is that the coin has suffered effects of extreme wear, though I am more inclined to believe it was intentional, as I don’t think it would have been possible for any coin to become so worn in just 8 years’ time.

      Reply
      • Thanks Joshua. Greatly appreciate the info. I agree with you. It doesn’t have any peeling. Very strange though. Wonder why anyone would do sucha thing…

        Reply
  118. Hi Joshua, here’s another strange nickle I found. It’s a 1964 D nickle with rounded edges. Parts of the words on both sides are cut. Is it worth anything? And what do you think might have caused this?

    Reply
  119. I found this 1992 D Nickel in my purse today and saw a circular ring around Jefferson….any Ideas? I have looked up marks and misses and dont see anything resembling if it is flawed or not…

    Reply
    • Hello, Jennifer –

      That is some type of machine damage, most likely from an automatic coin-counting machine.

      Thank you for your question!

      Reply
  120. I have a 1909 V.D.P Penny no mint Mark in great condition. Is it worth anything.
    also 1893 indian head penny?
    what is the deal with the 2009 Lincoln penny’s?

    Reply
    • Hi, Wiz –

      A 1909-VDB Lincoln cent without a mintmark (yours was made in Philadelphia) is worth around $10. An 1893 Indian Head cent has a value of around $3 to $5. As for the 2009 Lincoln cents, the reverse features four different designs that depict Abraham Lincoln throughout his life, in honor of what would have been his 200th birthday. Here’s some more info on 2009 Lincoln pennies: https://coins.thefuntimesguide.com/2009_lincoln_cent/

      Reply
  121. Hi Joshua, I was wondering if you could tell me if the reverse of this 1983 Dime considered s double die error? And if it’s worth anything…

    Reply
  122. I found this 1969 D penny and it looks different than any of the others I have seen, It almost sparkles. I let the lady at the jewelry repair locally look to see if it had been altered and she said no, no spray paint, etc. Do you know anything about this coin? The date and mint marks are very weak.

    Reply
    • Hello Kim,

      Given that the date and mintmark seem weak (on a date that is otherwise known for strong strikes), I believe the coin may have been abrasively stripped of some of its top layer of metal, which would account for both the weakness at the highest points of the design and the sparkly effect (which is metal from underneath being newly exposed).

      Reply
      • Here is a picture of the back of the 1969 penny also. The lettering looks hollow in the middle. The surface is very smooth. I had a jeweler look at it to see if it had paint on it or had been altered by chemicals and she said it didn’t appear to be altered at all by either that it was just the material it was made from. I don’t know at this point but it is the prettiest penny I have ever seen. Pictures don’t do it justice.:). Thanks so much!

        Reply
  123. Hi Joshua,
    I have an 1899 $10 Liberty coin, San Francisco , Grade Extra Fine. My son and I are planning to make a model of Moby Dick’s “Pequod” for his Cub Scout PineWood Derby car this year. I was going to glue this gold coin to the hull as weight and the gold coin would be true to the story… but first I wonder if it has any value?

    Thanks,
    Joe

    Reply
    • Hello!

      While I appreciate the authenticity that would be lent to the story by gluing the 1899 $10 eagle to your son’s model, I caution against that for two reasons:

      A) The coin is currently worth at least $900.
      B) Gluing the coin would permanently damage it.

      I suggest gluing a replica of such a coin (which you could purchase for perhaps $10 to $20) if that is something that is important to you, but I’d personally highly advise not to affix the real coin to the model.

      On that note, I wish you both the best of luck in the competition!

      Reply
      • Wow!
        Thanks- I had no idea of the value- I will keep it safe.
        Where would I be able to find a replica coin? $15 is about what I expected to spend on tungsten weight anyway.
        Thanks!
        Joe

        Reply