What’s The Value Of Wheat Pennies? Find Out How Much All Wheat Pennies From 1909 To 1958 Are Worth!

by

Joshua

Coin Values, Hobbies & Crafts

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“What’s the value of my wheat pennies?”

That’s the main question I keep getting here at The Fun Times Guide to Coins — and I’m glad this is so, because Lincoln cents have long been my specialty. In fact, that’s the first coin I ever collected and the coin that — to this day — I still focus my coin collecting efforts on.

value of wheat pennies

When I was a new coin collector I, too, used to wonder what the value of wheat pennies was — simply because they’re obsolete coins that by the very nature of their being old were not seen in circulation very often.

In fact, my first coin was a 1941 penny, with a value that was far less than I would’ve imagined (around 10 cents) for a coin so old. But I learned that not all wheat cents are worth so little.

As I soon learned, some scarce wheat pennies are worth lots of money, and many more Lincoln cents barely register a value above the intrinsic one-cent denomination.

Still, though, you want to know what the value of your wheat pennies is — if for nothing else than to satisfy your curiosity (some are worth $1000 or more!), then a Lincoln coin value guide is a must-read for you.

So, without further ado, here is information on the value of wheat pennies – hope you’re sitting down, yours may be worth the big bucks!

 

Wheat Penny Values

*Pennies are assumed to be in grades of Good-4 (heavily worn with only a few major details showing). Values are based on several sources, including information from A Guide Book of United States Coins by R.S. Yeoman, and PCGS online price guide.

 

Early 1900s Lincoln Cents

•    1909 $4
•    1909 VDB $12
•    1909-S $100
•    1909-S VDB $780
•    1910 50 cents
•    1910-S $15
•    1911 45 cents
•    1911-D $6
•    1911-S $40
•    1912 $1.25
•    1912-D $7
•    1912-S $22
•    1913 85 cents
•    1913-D $3
•    1913-S $12
•    1914 75 cents
•    1914-D $200
•    1914-S $22
•    1915 $1.75
•    1915-D $2
•    1915-S $20
•    1916 30 cents
•    1916-D $1
•    1916-S $1.75
•    1917 30 cents
•    1917-D 80 cents
•    1917-S 50 cents
•    1918 20 cents
•    1918-D 75 cents
•    1918-S 50 cents
•    1919 20 cents
•    1919-D 50 cents
•    1919-S 20 cents

 

1920s Lincoln Cents

•    1920 20 cents
•    1920-D 25 cents
•    1920-S 25 cents
•    1921 20 cents
•    1921-S $1.25
•    1922-D $15
•    1922 plain $650
•    1923 20 cents
•    1923-S $2.50
•    1924 20 cents
•    1924-D $35
•    1924-S $1
•    1925 20 cents
•    1925-D 30 cents
•    1925-S 25 cents
•    1926 20 cents
•    1926-D 25 cents
•    1926-S $6
•    1927 20 cents
•    1927-D $1
•    1927-S $1
•    1928 20 cents
•    1928-D 20 cents
•    1928-S 35 cents
•    1929 20 cents
•    1929-D 20 cents
•    1929-S 20 cents

 

1930s Lincoln Cents

•    1930 15 cents
•    1930-D 20 cents
•    1930-S 20 cents
•    1931 35 cents
•    1931-D $4
•    1931-S $110
•    1932 $1.50
•    1932-D 80 cents
•    1933 $1
•    1933-D $2
•    1934 15 cents
•    1934-D 20 cents
•    1935 15 cents
•    1935-D 15 cents
•    1935-S 15 cents
•    1936 15 cents
•    1936-D 15 cents
•    1936-S 15 cents
•    1937 15 cents
•    1937-D 15 cents
•    1937-S 15 cents
•    1938 15 cents
•    1938-D 20 cents
•    1938-S 40 cents
•    1939 15 cents
•    1939-D 50 cents
•    1939-S 15 cents

 

1940s Lincoln Cents

•    1940 15 cents
•    1940-D 15 cents
•    1940-S 15 cents
•    1941 15 cents
•    1941-D 15 cents
•    1941-S 15 cents
•    1942 15 cents
•    1942-D 15 cents
•    1942-S 20 cents
•    1943 30 cents
•    1943-D 35 cents
•    1943-S 40 cents
•    1944 10 cents
•    1944-D 10 cents
•    1944-S 15 cents
•    1945 10 cents
•    1945-D 10 cents
•    1945-S 15 cents
•    1946 10 cents
•    1946-D 10 cents
•    1946-S 15 cents
•    1947 10 cents
•    1947-D 10 cents
•    1947-S 20 cents
•    1948 10 cents
•    1948-D 10 cents
•    1948-S 20 cents
•    1949 10 cents
•    1949-D 10 cents
•    1949-S 25 cents

 

1950s Lincoln Cents

•    1950 10 cents
•    1950-D 10 cents
•    1950-S 15 cents
•    1951 10 cents
•    1951-D 10 cents
•    1951-S 25 cents
•    1952 10 cents
•    1952-D 10 cents
•    1952-S 15 cents
•    1953 10 cents
•    1953-D 10 cents
•    1953-S 10 cents
•    1954 25 cents
•    1954-D 10 cents
•    1954-S 10 cents
•    1955 10 cents
•    1955-D 10 cents
•    1955-S 20 cents
•    1956 10 cents
•    1956-D 10 cents
•    1957 10 cents
•    1957-D 10 cents
•    1958 10 cents
•    1958-D 10 cents

As you can see, the value of your wheat pennies is primarily dependent on its date, with scarcer years being worth much more than those that are more common. However, the value of your wheat pennies will also hinge on its state of preservation; the less wear your coin has, the more it is worth.

Because most people here at The Fun Times Guide are asking about values of wheat pennies they have found in pocket change, I decided to list the values for very low-grade coins. So, if you have a wheat penny in a higher grade, you can be confident that is almost surely worth more than the prices you see listed here.

No matter what the value of your wheat pennies may be, remember that all Lincoln cents made between 1909 and 1958 are now considered obsolete and are worth hanging onto. After all, these coins are becoming scarcer, especially in circulation, and are increasingly valued by coin collectors who want to assemble complete sets of this highly popular coin.

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67 thoughts on “What’s The Value Of Wheat Pennies? Find Out How Much All Wheat Pennies From 1909 To 1958 Are Worth!”

  3. Hay to all. Joshua could you please take a look at this 1995 penny on the reverse and see if there’s anything there thank you number one fan

    Reply

    • Hi, David!

      Thank you for the photos. There seems to be some doubling on the coin, HOWEVER, the image also appears a bit fuzzy on my end, even with zoom, so I can’t tell if the doubling I might be seeing is on the coin or in the photo. Is there a chance you might kindly resend a crisper version of the image, please?

      Thank you!
      Josh

      Reply

    • Hi, David —

      From what I can see in the images, there does appear to be some doubling on your coin. I would need a crisper image of the obverse please, particularly around the lettering and date to provide a better opinion. Thank you for the images!

      Best,
      Josh

      Reply

  5. Hi, Kathy —

    The conflicting prices are due mainly to each coin’s individual condition and market variables. One coin worth only $1 to $2 in well-circulated grades can be worth thousands of dollars in uncirculated condition. Indeed, your piece is worth $1 to $2, but is nonetheless a great collectible.

    Best,
    Josh

    Reply

  6. Hi!I have a box of wheat pennies my grandfather left me.I have…Well…ALOT.What are the most collectible/valuable I might have?I saw a 1943 go for quite a bit & I’m hoping I find one.I have a few 1943 but they stuck to a magnet so I don’t think they are bronze.Can you help?

    Reply

  7. I have some pennies from the 1950’s. Are they worth anything? The years are 1958, 1957 and two from 1953. If anyone knows any info that would be helpful. Thanks.

    Reply

    • Hi, Michael —

      Assuming these coins exhibit some degree of circulation wear and have no significant errors or varieties, they are worth 3 to 5 cents each. With the exception of aforementioned oddities, all circulated Lincoln cents from the 1950s are worth generally under 25 cents. I’d still suggest keeping them since they are Lincoln wheat cents and are considered obsolete — their value may increase in time.

      Neat coins!
      Josh

      Reply

    • Hi, Joan —

      Would you please post a photo of this “191” cent so I can determine what might be going on with it and what it may be worth?

      Thank you so much,
      Josh

      Reply

  9. I have tried to find out why my penny looks so dark year is 1940 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a258182d35ebc2b853468c39312bba4ddbb36da132e13c9b2ad0c19b02405ae8.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a258182d35ebc2b853468c39312bba4ddbb36da132e13c9b2ad0c19b02405ae8.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/362972d77c157297d850b388a001d75c8e15da870cf57ef92837a80c2ed09e95.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/eb7b76efc807c8e85909c7d9ac9e2dada645049458bf666e92fc546b33c9ee09.jpg

    Reply

    • Hi, Amy —

      A dark copper Lincoln cent like this was likely exposed to some pretty strong environmental conditions, including the possibility of chemical fumes or exposure to soil. It appears to have some light porosity, too.

      Given what I see, this piece is worth about 3 cents, which is just a little less than a problem-free 1940 Lincoln cent.

      This is still a great old coin, and one that I’d certainly keep if I found it in pocket change.

      Thank you for your question and photo,
      Josh

      Reply

  10. I found a 1943 steel wheat penny. The front looks like there could have been an error on minting. Would you be able to help me with this?

    Reply

    • Hello, Cynthia —

      Based on what I see on the photo of the 1943 steel cent you’re asking about, it looks like part of the coin’s steel interior is rusting through the zinc outer coating. This is actually a very common situation with steel cents and one reason why they were unpopular with the general public of the mid 1940s. It’s still worth about 15 cents.

      Best wishes,
      Josh

      Reply

    • Hello, Wizzy —

      The 10-cent estimate is about right for this piece. The 1955 doubled die penny is a very scarce coin, and the doubling is very prominent in the date and lettering of that error variety coin. This is still a nice, obsolete coin worth keeping! If you’re looking for coins in pocket change that are worth more than face value, you might want to check out this article: https://coins.thefuntimesguide.com/us-coins/

      Good luck!
      Josh

      Reply

  13. Hey Josh,
    I was wondering how much these two pennies are worth.
    Thanks

    Gulinky https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/080f89687718f7d564b0fe93b448909e73635bee5bc186c0328c7e46cb4c4ad5.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f187be4bc7afe0f29a43094fa26d6455e47cf237789bd6e485903d37d63b7037.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/07d616d100c4162ebc10ce87466245552334ea02e5106f211c9e55e5dcbe4ab1.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/be2ca882bc840e799f3a1738c4a8b673af02456b5c68003028b73770d322e570.jpg

    Reply

    • Hello, Gulinky —

      Your 1919 and 1925 Lincoln cents are each worth 10 to 20 cents. These are very nice-looking coins with original, chocolate brown patina — definitely keepers@

      Best wishes,
      Josh

      Reply

    • Hi, Marie —

      I’m afraid I don’t see any dates on the image — it’s too dark and blurry. Would you mind please retaking the image or list me the dates and mintmarks?

      Thank you,
      Josh

      Reply

      • Hi yes I commented under both these names different phones I did take more pics and list dates on my comments to you…let me know if you see anything interesting thanks

        Reply

  17. Hi Josh,
    I have this 1940 penny. It appears to be a business strike in really good condition. And it has what I think may be a die crack on the lower left of the reverse at the bottom of the wheat and up into the letters O and U. What do you think this may be? Thank you! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/437afaec2979d33b8d90fd5a16b604152d5fb8565c01c383b2460f44055fc83b.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6bc285716440ee0f8fbae173c1fa330ad0441b843e5f47d87164e24f7b1acf13.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/01510f420f11d15fd6010c3dba8bbecba7aeeb25fe05c3a518867c09a13f39da.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/131d2b7c59a4ffd3a7eb1260e99f7906f04a6a37ad34d98b66ca94a2063092e3.jpg

    Reply

    • Hello, Sky Watch —

      This looks like a moderately to lightly circulated 1940 cent that has been cleaned. I’m looking at the last photos and see what you describe as the die crack. Usually a die crack exhibits as a raised line, not a sunken, hollowed area like this. It looks like a possible lamination error. If that’s what this is, such a piece is generally worth $2 or $3.

      Neat find,
      Josh

      Reply

    • Hi, Norma —

      Please attach a couple clear photos of your silver 1958-D Lincoln cent so I can help further.

      Thanks!
      Josh

      Reply

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