Hobbies & Crafts, Rare U.S. Coins

Benjamin Franklin designed the first U.S. penny in 1787 (called a Fugio cent). The U.S. Mint started producing pennies in 1793 with Large cents (1793-1857), followed by Flying Eagle cents (1856-1858), Indian Head cents (1859-1909), and Lincoln cents (1909-present). One of the most popular pennies among collectors is a Lincoln cent design: the Lincoln Wheat penny (1909-1958). Here, experienced coin collectors are sharing fun ways to collect pennies, how to grade pennies to determine their condition & value, which pennies are the rarest & most valuable, and how much U.S. pennies are worth (by year).