Discover the 6 different TYPES of PENNIES you can find in CIRCULATION today!
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⚡TIMESTAMPS FROM THE VIDEO⚡
00:00 – The 6 types of pennies to look for in circulation
00:15 – Checklist of 6 valuable pennies
00:39 – 1943 Steel penny value
01:49 – 1944 Steel penny value
02:35 – 1982 Copper penny value
04:30 – 1909 to 1958 Wheat penny value
05:33 – 1959 to 1982 Lincoln Memorial penny value
07:28 – 1859 to 1909 Indian Head penny value
08:43 – Summary: 6 types of valuable pennies to look for
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TRANSCRIPT:
Today I’m going to be talking about 6 types of pennies that you might find in your pocket change that are all worth more than face value. These pennies are all collectible. And all are worth up to a buck — and in some cases, maybe even more than that. The 6 types of pennies that we’ll be covering in this video include the 1943 Lincoln steel cents, 1944 steel pennies, 1909 to 1958 Lincoln wheat pennies, Pre-1982 copper pennies, 1982 copper pennies, and Indian Head pennies from 1859 to 1909.
[At Number One… the 1943 steel cent.] First would be the 1943 steel cent. We have one right here. This is actually not really a rare coin — but it is a novel coin with a neat history to it. More than 1 billion (with a “B”) were struck across the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco mints. The story behind this coin is that it was created at a time when the U.S. was trying to help ration copper for World War II ammunitions. In that vein, the U.S. Mint made 1943 pennies out of this steel planchet. And it’s coated with a zinc outer coating. The zinc was used to help prevent rusting. But unfortunately… when the coin saw circulation, the zinc wore off. And thus, people would have rusty pennies in their pockets and purses. That was not very popular. Did not go over well with the public. So the mint returned in 1944 to making bronze-based pennies. A typical 1943 steel cent is worth 5 to 10 cents apiece in circulated condition – like this one is here. Maybe about a buck or so (and up) in uncirculated condition. That brings me to the next coin worth looking for…
[Number 2… the 1944 steel cent.] Now I don’t actually have a 1944 steel cent to show you unfortunately. I wish I did. But I don’t. So what I’m going to do is show you a 1944 penny right here — so you can see. Basically, imagine this exact coin on a steel planchet. Okay? So the date will look the same as it does in the bronze. Lincoln’s head looks the same as it does in the bronze. But you’re going to see all these details in 194… Or 19… rather 1943-style steel cent. So again… the 1944 date and design on a 1943 steel cent. If you find a 1944 steel cent, it’s worth $50,000 and up!
[At Number Three… the 1982 Copper Penny.] Now you might get fooled. There are other kinds of silver-colored pennies that people might find in circulation. A lot of times they are coins that were plated with silver or pewter or even mercury. That’s done because people coated the coins for novelty’s sake. Or sometimes to deceive other people into thinking that they found a rare silver-colored coin. If you find a 1982 or later silver-colored penny, what you actually found is a zinc-based penny basically — that is lacking its copper coating. So I have here a zinc-based penny from 2016? Under this coating right here you’d see basically a silver-colored disc or planchet. But it looks kind of like the steel cent a little bit. Two ways that these coins are made… One, outside the Mint. One, inside the Mint. There is a rare error involving planchets that were not properly coated in their copper layer like you see here. Those are worth 50 bucks and up usually. However there’s a very common experiment people can do that chemically removes the copper from the zinc core and basically results in a coin that would look kind of like the steel cent or a silver-colored penny — with the same details and all, but without the copper coating. It’s really difficult to tell for some people what a chemically altered zinc cent looks like versus one that’s just lacking its copper coating. So my recommendation to you is to go ahead and bring such coins into a coin dealer professional — who can look at the coin in person and judge using a magnifying glass and a chemical analysis exactly what happened to that coin. To see if it’s really an error or simply a regular zinc penny that was altered by somebody who removed the copper coating.
[Coming in at Number Four… Wheat pennies from 1909 to 1958.] In general, I look for ALL Wheat pennies. They were made from 1909 to 1958. Most are pretty common. But they’re collectible for 2 reasons. First of all, they are an obsolete design — they’re no longer made. And two, because they’re made from copper — and copper is worth more than face value today when it comes to pennies. Generally speaking, a 19… we’ll say ’41 Lincoln penny is worth like 5 to 10 cents. We’ve got a 1954 here worth 10 to 15 cents. Most Wheat pennies are not really worth a whole lot of money in worn condition. There are a few that I do keep an eye out for. I talk about all those rare pennies on other videos. But basically speaking, I hold aside ALL Lincoln Wheat cents. So it will look like this on the back (or the reverse). You see here the 2 wheat stocks that surround the words “One Cent… United States of America… E Puribus Unum.” On the front we see Lincoln — with a date that ranges from 1909 to 1958.
[At Number Five… Pre-1982 Lincoln Memorial pennies.] Another coin worth looking for are ALL pre-1982 Lincoln Memorial pennies. Now why am I looking for those? They’re very common coins after all and we still see some in circulation today. Well, let’s go back to the copper thing for a second. These pennies are made from a 95% copper composition. And their bronze alloy is now worth more than face value. We’re talking about 3 cents more or less — so not a huge value. But they are worth more than face value. So I hang on to ALL pre-1982 Lincoln pennies. Now with that being said… In 1982, there were basically 2 kinds of pennies made. There were those that were made from a zinc composition. Kind of like this one is here from 2016. And those made from copper like we see here with the ’50… What is this?… A ’58. I have a 1974 here somewhere. Where did I put that? Anyway… Oh yeah, it’s right in front of me, sorry about that. Right here I’ve got a 1974 penny. So a copper Lincoln Memorial penny weighs by standard 3.11 grams. But they don’t all weigh the same due to tolerances. And of course wear can actually lower the weight of a copper penny. Generally speaking, a copper penny should weigh around 3 grams, more or less. Whereas a zinc penny weighs 2.5 grams. Now the problem with this (if you’re trying to weigh it on a typical kitchen scale) is the 2.5 gram penny will tend to round up to 3 grams on a scale that shows just whole integers. Like… not like a fraction like 3.1 or 2.8. But just 2 or 3. So what you might want to do is get yourself a coin scale that will actually show you a weight readout down to at least a 10th of a gram. And that should help you decipher between a zinc penny or a copper penny.
[Number Six… 1859 to 1909 Indian Head pennies.] Another kind of penny I’m looking for: Indian Head pennies. These are made from 1859 to 1909. And they show on the front a visage of Miss Liberty wearing a Native American headdress — right here. As you see. They are called Indian Head cents by tradition. But it really is a likeness of Miss Liberty with a Native American headdress. On the reverse (or back side), we see here a wreath that surround the words “One Cent” and a shield on top down here. On 1908 and 1909 Indian Head cents there are mint marks that you’ll find right down here below the wreath. These were made for those 2 years in San Francisco and Philadelphia. And thus you’ll see an “S” mint mark for the San Francisco pennies and NO mint mark for the Philadelphia pennies. These tend to be worth about a buck or two in worn condition for the later dates. Basically those from like 1890 and on. We see here a 1901 that actually I found in a roll! I was very shocked to find this in a roll. And this is why I do look for these coins in pocket change, rolls, coin jars — because you can find these coins!
So with that being said, those are the pennies I’m looking for when I’m going through any kind of coins of any kind. Whether they be in rolls, pocket change, coin jars, on the sidewalk. I hope you’ll look for these too — because if you’re lucky, you just might find some worth more than face value. And you never know what you’re going to find! I hope you enjoyed this video on the 6 types of pennies worth more than face value. If you did, please “Like” and “Subscribe” to my channel for more videos just like this one. Don’t forget to keep looking through your pocket change, coin rolls, coin jars. Because you never know what you’re going to find. Good Luck penny hunting!
