what pennies are worth money
Of all the modern Lincoln cents the Wheat Penny stands out the most. The San Francisco branch mint began coining Indian pennies. This is a labor of love you might say, so it is resource intensive and slow. Its reverse contains two ears of wheat, and the words One Cent, United States of America, and E Pluribus Unum. I, on the other hand, am simply holding onto my copper pennies with no particular plans except to perhaps search them someday for varieties, errors, and other interesting numismatic aberrations. As of this writing, theyre worth 2 to 3 cents each due to their copper value. Most Valuable Canadian Pennies 1. Professional Coin Grading Serviceoffers a coin price guide where you can search for the current value of collectible coins. Their demand is supporting strong values, high condition examples are avidly sought. In the close "AM" variety, the "FG" is closer to the building. "It's especially obvious in the words 'ONE CENT' and 'E PLURIBUS UNUM.' The other variety of this rare penny stamped the letters closer together, nearly touching. Dont miss the 1936 Lincoln Wheat Cent Penny in your search for rare pennies, as one of these bad boys could be worth $2,222 in uncirculated mint condition. But, of course, rarity is a significant factor in determining a penny's worth. While most pennies are only worth a few bucks, highly coveted ones might be sitting in your pocket or stuck somewhere in your couch. Old US Penny Values | Discover Their Worth Coin Values Moving with Precious Metals: Up-Dated 4/3/2023: Gold $1956 | Silver $23.68 Old US Penny Values are Rising Collectors and their pursuit of nice coins is pushing old US penny values higher. Because not many of these pennies were minted, proof coins of either variety are valuable. Another element that identifies this rare penny is the spacing between the "FG" initials and the Lincoln Memorial Building. This coin had an RRP of $80 and a mintage of just 5,000. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Privacy Policy & Terms | PCGS offers a coin price guide where you can search for the current value of collectible coins. 1955 doubled die obverse Lincoln Wheat Penny, $1,900 Its estimated that some 24,000 Lincoln Cents from 1955 were struck with a doubled die. And heres the story behind zinc pennies. Finally, demand is the factor that drives value the most. Instead, Teitelbaum turned them over to the Secret Service. Most major and minor design features are now a flat surface. The high value of this coin is due to its uncirculated condition and its original copper-red color. The United States government banned melting copper pennies in 2006. It is estimated that only 5 million of these coins were made, and very few of them were saved in uncirculated condition. Most uncirculated 1980 pennies are worth 10 to 30 cents apiece. Slightly more than 4 million of them were minted. Im a member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) and the Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG) and have won multiple awards from the NLG for my work as a coin journalist. An 1872 Indian Head penny is a scarce coin but can readily be found at any coin show or coin dealer in circulated grades. Small Pieces of Copper Worth Huge Amounts of Money. When the U.S. switched from bronze alloy to zinc-plated steel pennies in 1943, only a relative handful of bronze pennies slipped through. "The few bronze coins that were struck went unnoticed and got released into circulation.". How to determine penny values begins with identifying the denomination and series. Gray asked a collector named Robert Teitelbaum to sell the illegal coins and to place 85 of them into circulation in Washington. The doubling on the 1969-S Doubled Die Obverse is especially prominent in the words "LIBERTY" and "IN GOD WE TRUST," he said. In 1864, the Civil War was dragging on, and the United States economy was extremely fragile. There is no noticeable bag mark on the coin's surface, and it has retained its original bright red-orange copper color. Some error coins in this collection (not just the Connecticut quarter) were either broadstruck meaning they were struck outside of the retaining collar of the coin or double or triple stamped. There are about 45,000 of these coins in existence. Collections are built with a focus on dates and date runs. Mint State Grade: A coin with no wear to the surface is considered Mint State grade. For this list, we are only including small cents: Flying Eagle Cents, Indian Head Pennies, Lincoln Wheat Pennies, Lincoln Memorial Cents, and Lincoln Shield Cents. Some of these Wheat pennies are not as common as once believed. If your coins are not worth money as a collectors item but contain precious metals like gold and silver, you can sell them for their scrap metal value. Not all wheat cents are worth keeping, and preserving. *This list of most valuable pennies refers to problem-free coins grading Extremely Fine-40 on the Sheldon Grading Scale. Sold: August 2007; Heritage Auctions, Milwaukee, WI, ANA Signature Coin Auction. One factor contributing to this coin's significant value is its low mintage. That makes them much easier to find than the 1969 Doubled Die coins. Mintmarks became important to penny values starting in 1908. This coin had a doubled "D" mint mark thats easily visible. And they represent the introduction of the modern small cent size. Providing for safe handling, preserving of value and organizing your box of old coins. One example circulated for a while before being picked up by a collector. Having one in its original copper-red color makes it much more extraordinary. Similar to the 1969 Doubled Die, the doubling on this penny is especially prominent in the words "LIBERTY" and "IN GOD WE TRUST" with some light doubling on the date, said Stone. Stone estimates that a coin in good condition could sell for up to $45. In this case, the doubling is on the reverse of the coin. Among the Lincoln Memorial cents, there were 7 years during which the San Francisco Mint placed its S mintmark under the date on business-strike, non-proof pennies. It looks like you're seeing double," said Bucki. The wheat penny was first minted in 1909, and it was the first coin in wide circulation to feature a U.S. president. Of course, pocket change still yields plenty of copper cents. One variety had a widely spaced "AM" in the word "America.". These steel planchets were used primarily in 1943. Since most people do not look at the date on every coin that they receive in change, some of these 1943 bronze alloy pennies circulated for a while before being snatched up by an alert coin collector intent on cherry-picking the valuable Lincoln penny out of circulation. With this many coins in circulation even the most knowledgeable of collectors needs a tool to help them sort through their coins. Many people who hoard copper coinsthese days are simply waiting for thepenny melting laws to change, which may happen someday. These are Lincoln penny coins to look for in circulation or in your pocket change. We'll tell you of course what you need to look for. Sold: August 2008; Heritage Auctions, Baltimore, MD, ANA US Coin Signature Auction. Additional video helps to identify many subtle points to grading coins. A penny or cent is one-hundredth of a dollar, which means a hundred cents or pennies make a dollar. Minted in Denver, USA Coin Book estimated the value of this rare 1914 penny at $278 in average condition and over $3,000 in uncirculated mint condition. "A nice circulated example, like Lutes' coin, could sell for around $150,000 to $200,000. These coins in circulated condition are also valuable, but uncirculated coins are extremely rare. To be precise:Copper pennies made up until 1962had a 5% balance of tin and zinc, and from 1962 to 1982 the extra 5% of material was entirely zinc. 1856 through 1858 cents stand out as sought-after collector coins because of the bold flying eagle design. Each design has high points judged to detect any smoothing and removal of luster. Only several dozen examples were actually found, but a lot more are thought to exist. Sold: January 2008; Heritage Auctions, Orlando, FL, FUN Signature Coin Auction. While Lincoln is still on the penny today, the wheat is long gone. Compare and identify your coin to the picture, click on the image, and go immediately to your old coin value. The chosen design proposed by New York sculptor John Flanagan was minted on a silver alloy from 1932 to 1964, with the exception of 1933. In the French-speaking parts of Canada, the coin is sometimes called a black cent (cenne noire) or black penny (sou noir). Heres the short answer the one you probably dont want to hear: NO! As of this writing, anyway. Stone estimates that 15 to 20 are known to collectors today, although it's possible that there are a few that have not yet been accounted for. In fact, in 2019, a 1943 bronze Lincoln cent sold at auction for $204,000, and in 2015, a Birch cent, one of America's first pennies, was bought for $2.6 million dollars. Get Make It newsletters delivered to your inbox, Learn more about the world of CNBC Make It, 2023 CNBC LLC. Within a series, invariably certain dates are the commonly found issues. Note: It's not always easy to see, so consult an expert if you're not sure. Until then Philadelphia produced all cent and two cent denominations. As a result, most of these pennies went into circulation. However, after many complaints, the United States Mint changed back to the regular copper planchets beginning in 1944. It is estimated that fewer than 20 were released by each of the Philadelphia and San Francisco mints. Though you're less likely to come across these highly prized pennies in your pocket change, the following are the most valuable Lincoln, Indian-Head, and Wheat Penny cents, as well as the most expensive pennies of all time. The low mintage alone makes this coin extremely rare, but the brilliant colors that resulted from a coin being stored for 100 years makes this coin extremely attractive to collectors. Keep that in mind! While a circulating coin typically lasts 30 to 40 years, some lucky collectors have found pennies minted in the mid-1900s in their pocket change. Roughly 250,000 of these pennies were minted, he said. To this day, they are the only two known to exist. Visit the series page for value charts and details on how to value your old penny. This is a labor of love you might say, so it is resource intensive and slow. While the original edition pennies from 1909 can have significant collectable value, other editions of the Lincoln penny can be highly desired by coin collectors as well. 1971 Kennedy Half Dollar. This 1999 S penny looks almost identical to the last one on this list, except, you guessed it, the A and the M are closer together. What follows are the 11 through 25th most valuable pennies: 1917 doubled die Lincoln Wheat Penny, $1,350, 1972 doubled die obverse Lincoln Memorial penny, $290, 1909-S/S over horizontal S Lincoln Wheat Penny, $275. "I know a couple of people who have found these in their pocket change.". Victor David Brenner created the design under the auspices of President Theodore Roosevelt. Others are worth their weight in gold or silver. As example; a 1907 Indian penny is available in all grades and affordable. Most Valuable US Pennies - Highest Value 1 Cent Coins USA Coin Book has compiled a list of the most valuable US pennies ever known. We offer reliable real coin melt conversions and hand written stats on each and every coin in our database. On the surface, there is nothing visually spectacular about this coin. As a result, demand for United States coinage was at an all-time low, and families struggled to make ends meet. Sold: February 2016; Heritage Auctions, Long Beach, CA, US Coins Signature Auction. The story behind copper 1943 Lincoln Pennies is presumed to be a pure accident at the U.S. Mint perhaps a few leftover copper planchets from 1942 were stuck in the coining press system and struck with 1943 penny dies. Discover the rare pennies in your box of old coins. So far, this article has been mainly centered around looking for copper Lincoln Memorial cents which were minted from 1959 through 1982. That means about 20% of the pennies passing through my hands in those rolls were copper ones. Some pennies, originally worth a single cent, are now worth thousands of dollars. Your email address will not be published. The 1969-S (San Francisco Mint) is no exception, and its not only one of the most expensive small cents, but also the priciest among the Lincoln Memorial series. In 1909, The United States Mint replaced the Indian Head penny with the Lincoln cent. Heritage auctioned a similar one in slightly lower grade for $186,000 earlier this month," he said. Do you have any of these coins in your penny jar? Its possible these coins may be hiding in the basement, inside an attic box, or even inside your penny jar. The 1999 S Lincoln Memorial Cent was minted in San Francisco in two different varieties. Jaime Hernandez wrote on PCGS that one of the things making this coin so rare is the low amount of coins that were collected this year versus in 1909. Similar to the other 1944 pennies mentioned here, there were only two San Francisco-minted steel pennies produced in 1944. I primarily collect and study U.S. coins produced during the 20th century. Match your coins to each penny series value chart. There's those pawn shops or local cash-for-gold buyers that's not a good place to sell your coins, Winter says. The Lincoln cent (technically, only Great Britain officially has a denomination called the "penny") is a favorite among collectors young and old, rich and poor. Two are Indian pennies, from different mints. 2. In 1856, the price of copper rose to the point that it took more than a penny's worth of copper to make a penny. An excellent picture index of all major US coin series. Though theyre a fun find, these coins arent that valuable you can buy one on ebay starting at about $6. To have all three initials ona coin's design was unheard of. However, experts with PCGS believe there are potentially up to 150,000 of these coins in existence. A 1931-S could be worth $40 or more. He estimates that a coin in new condition could be worth around $500, while a used one could fetch up to $45. The lines "In God We Trust" and "Liberty" are both doubled as well as the 1955 date itself. You do the same comparing to images of the different grades and matching your coin. The suspects made off with a chunk of the cargo - leaving 10-cent coins scattered around a Philadelphia . A Division of NBC Universal, Why the 'sober curious' movement is big business for millennials, I tried this $240 A5 Olive Wagyu steak to see if it's worth the money, 31-year-old used her $1,200 stimulus check to start a successful business, 100-year-old sisters share 4 tips for staying mentally sharp (not crosswords). Slightly less than a half-million of these pennies were minted before the Treasury Department demanded that the initials be removed. Collectibles come and go. However, what is known for sure is that the 1922 no-D penny is quite scarce and in high demand among coin collectors. Of all the 1943 copper pennies, only one Denver-minted copper cent is believed to exist, making it one of the rarest U.S. coins to date. Before you leave remember to share this page with your friends on your favorite social media platform to help us grow. 1922 No D plain Lincoln Wheat Penny, $2,050 Repairs to a damaged coin die left the 1922-D cent without any visible trace of its mint mark, leaving a coin that many thought back in the mid 1920s was a typical unmarked penny from the Philadelphia Mint. But there are several valuable pennies worth money, much more than just a few cents apiece. 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Local cash-for-gold buyers that 's not always easy to see, so it is resource intensive and.... Others are worth keeping, and go immediately to your inbox, Learn about... Pennies refers to problem-free coins Grading extremely Fine-40 on the image, and families struggled to make ends meet bronze! 'S especially obvious in the close `` AM '' in the basement, an! To your old coin value out what pennies are worth money most significant value is its low mintage is scarce. Certain dates are the commonly found issues who have found these in their pocket change still yields plenty copper.
