"The then 16-year-old Lutes received the copper-colored penny in change at his high school cafeteria in 1947," David Stone, a coin cataloger for Heritage, told CNBC Make It. "The regular run was supposed to have the letters 'A' and 'M' in 'AMERICA' almost touching, and the special proof coins were supposed to have a wider space between those letters," said Bucki. However, during the transition, some 2008-W Silver Eagles were accidentally stamped with the pre-2008 design. Penny values span a wide range. This is a labor of love you might say, so it is resource intensive and slow. Officially, theyre worth only face value if worn, but Ive seen many circulated S-mint Lincoln Memorial cents selling at coin shops for 5 to 10 cents. Early date Lincoln pennies and higher condition coins are on the move. At Coin Values, we are always staying on top of the latest changes in coin prices, and we have a list of the top 25 most valuable pennies. It is estimated that fewer than 20 were released by each of the Philadelphia and San Francisco mints. This one's going to be tough to find in circulation, but since it was produced after the 1950s, we had to include it. Whats the easiest way to search for copper pennies? Some of these one cent coins are worth hundreds! Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. Copper coins when first minted began as shades of bright red-orange-gold. Read more in our privacy policy. Similar to the 1972 penny mentioned, the 1971 S penny has a doubling error on both sides. We look at 10 super rare pennies worth money. So, check your change and coin roll hunt too! You can also find information about popular coins in The Red Book, A Guide Book of United States Coins 2022 75th Edition. At a glance, these coins read In God We Rust, but you may be able to see a faint T on some coins if you look for it. Coins in this condition are few and far between and are truly treasures to behold. !To check out o. The coppery color of modern-day pennies is merely a thin plating of copper on a 99.2% zinc, 0.8% copper core. 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. You're likely to be offered a small fraction of what they're worth.. Another double-died error can be found on the 1984 Lincoln Memorial Cent. Selling Wheat Pennies and Receiving the Highest Price. All Rights Reserved. Date further identifies your coin and combined with availability, establish value. As a rule, 1873 open 3 Indian cents are more common than the closed 3 variety. $20 Saint Gaudens Double Eagle 1933 "King Farouk of Egypt". 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. A coin in good condition could go for about $75,000. Some of these cents can become extremely valuable for coin collectors, like the first place on our list that reaches $100,000! Since this coin exhibits evidence of circulation and must have exited the mint via regular distribution channels. Most uncirculated 1980 pennies are worth 10 to 30 cents apiece. In addition, we are NOT factoring in the prices for Proof versions of these pennies (unless the Proof version is an error coin or an unusual variety). Separate your old wheat pennies into the main value groups - different decades, mintmarks, rare dates and importantly condition. $55. However, what is known for sure is that the 1922 no-D penny is quite scarce and in high demand among coin collectors. The closed 3 is especially rare because only a tad more than 1 million 1873 cents of this variety were made, whereas about 11 million open 3 cents were made. As opposed to the 1955 Doubled Die Lincoln Cent, where thousands of them are known, there are only three 1958 Doubled Die Lincoln pennies known to exist. The DDO on the coin has a very clear doubling on the lines "In God We Trust" and "Liberty." What sets this special penny apart from the crowd is a doubling of the date, with a smaller set of digits appearing on top of the larger set. 1983 P Washington Quarter. Subscribe to CNBC Make It on YouTube! Many of these coins exhibit wear from circulation. Auction record: $4,362 Superior Galleries. Collectibles come and go. As a result, demand for United States coinage was at an all-time low, and families struggled to make ends meet. Most Valuable Quarters: A List Of Silver Quarters & Other Rare Quarters You Should Hold Onto! 1944 Steel Lincoln Wheat Penny, $125,000 Its believed that a similar story behind the creation of the 1943 copper cent is also what led to minting of the 1944 steel penny; blank steel cent planchets from 1943 that were hiding away in the coining presses wound up getting stamped with the 1944 dies, and the result is a rarity that financially well-heeled coin collectors will pay hundreds of thousands to buy. Since pennies hold a special place in almost every coin collector's heart, demand for high-quality coins can drive the value through the roof. 10 Most Valuable Walking Liberty Half Dollars. This one, however, can earn you more than $1,000. From half cents, large cents, Indian pennies, and Lincoln cents all have unique examples of value added by special qualities. The Philadelphia mint produced about 20 bronze/copper coins in 1943, making this one incredibly rare and valuable. There are believed to only be about 20 of these rare coins in the world. 1969 Washington Quarter. 1873 doubled Liberty Open 3 Indian Head penny, $1,650 This is simply another version of the 1873 doubled die Indian Head penny. Brenner added his initials V.D.B. This penny was minted in Philadelphia, and letters on both side of the coin make it one of the rarest pennies you can find today. Dealers and collectors identify the different stages of wear separating coins from the most worn to the least and each is assigned a "Grade". Beginning approximately halfway through the mintage of 1864 pennies, an "L" was added to the tail of the ribbon in the war bonnet on Lady Liberty's head. They are usually dark brown in color, but occasionally red. Compare and identify your coin to the picture, click on the image, and go immediately to your old coin value. She previously worked for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh Magazine, and Akronlife Magazine, and served as the editorial director of a real estate marketing company. By the end of the 1950s, they had become a hot coin collector item and remain so to this day. The most elusive of these coins was owned by George Walton, the youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence. However, during the transition period between 1942 and 1943, there were a number of leftover copper planchets (the plain metal discs used to make coins) that were accidentally struck with 1943 dates. Some pennies, originally worth a single cent, are now worth thousands of dollars. The four currently operating U.S. Mints are: Auction record: $2,185 Heritage Auctions. Note: Mint marks are used to distinguish coins by where they were minted. However, some Lincoln cents have more than a penny's worth of copper in them, but it is illegal to melt them. Minted 1793 to 1857; value charts list date and condition ranges of values. Dark colors tend to hide detail and lower eye appeal to old copper coins. Flying Eagle Penny Values | Discover Their Worth. There are about 45,000 of these coins in existence. 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. In 1864, the Civil War was dragging on, and the United States economy was extremely fragile. Not because of its date of minting, but because of its die variety. But the move needed Congressional approval, so the mint produced a batch of about 800 of the new pennies and presented them to the lawmakers. Sold: February 2016; Heritage Auctions, Long Beach, CA, US Coins Signature Auction. However, the flat spots do not connect, separation of high areas remain. There's also some light doubling on the date. As a result, saving even a penny for a coin collection was not an option for most Americans. Only 1,194 of these proof coins were struck at the Philadelphia mint before the Treasury Department dictated that the designer's initials be removed from the coin. The difference between this 1873 penny and the closed 3 listed above is the way the serifed ends of the 3 come near the middle of the digit. This only takes place in the small date version. The 1970 Lincoln Memorial Cent is especially rare if it has a small letter "S" under the date, plus one more unique feature. The suspects made off with a chunk of the cargo - leaving 10-cent coins scattered around a Philadelphia . It is the most valuable Lincoln penny in the world. "I know a couple of people who have found these in their pocket change.". Leighann Bacher is a writer/editor based in Pittsburgh. If you think you've found a 1943 Bronze Lincoln, the Mint suggests testing it with a magnet first. "It's especially obvious in the words 'ONE CENT' and 'E PLURIBUS UNUM.' Half cents are a series with many examples in very worn condition. Professional Coin Grading Serviceoffers a coin price guide where you can search for the current value of collectible coins. Pre-1960 Lincoln Wheat Pennies: These pennies were produced between 1909 and 1958 and feature an image of Abraham Lincoln on one side and wheat stalks on the other. Bottom line: The 1955 Doubled-Die Obverse (DDO) Penny is one of the most famous examples of design doubling on coinage. to the coin's reverse, at the bottom between the two stalks of wheat. However, after many complaints, the United States Mint changed back to the regular copper planchets beginning in 1944. The most valuable 1980 penny with no mintmark sold for $2,232.50 in a 2017 auction. What makes this coin extremely rare is its exceptional condition that combines a nearly flawless coin with a sharp strike from a fresh set of coin dies. From Cents to Gold. Sold: October 2011; Heritage Auctions, Pittsburgh, PA, Signature Auction. 1944 Steel Cents 1944 Steel Wheat Penny struck in San Francisco Mint. Sold: January 2013; Stack's Bowers Galleries, Americana Auction. Coin Chart: Tap a '+' sign to expand further coin details. Click coin image to view full-size image. If you think you've found a valuable penny, Stone suggests consulting a professional. Close-up images and descriptions of grades are used to judge condition. The 1914-S Lincoln cent is by no means a rare coin. Isn't it funny how having an extra ear can make a penny valuable? The 1969-S doubled die penny is among the most valuable Lincoln Memorial pennies, which were minted from 1959 through 2008. As always, nicer, better preserved coin are always worth more. Auction record: $372,000 Heritage Auctions*. How to Video: | Grading Indian Head Pennies, How to Video: | Grading Lincoln Wheat Pennies. The search is both interesting and exciting. Many people who hoard copper coinsthese days are simply waiting for thepenny melting laws to change, which may happen someday. Examine your coin and compare to the following images to find a match. You do the same comparing to images of the different grades and matching your coin. Older copper pennies are 95% copper and 5% something else. The 1944 steel to copper/bronze transition of pennies involved the inclusion of leftover zinc-coated steel. *Values are for coins in Extremely Fine-40 grade. A very popular and recognizable coin; from beginner to advanced collectors, all enjoy the collecting of Indian Head pennies. Coins that are in higher grades, come under suspicion that they may have been helped by a mint employee. Coin values are determined by using the grading images to judge condition then checking the date and values on the charts provided. And,that 1:4 ratio of copper pennies to zinc Lincoln cents seems to be about my probability of finding copper one-cent coins in circulation today. The image of a bison initially adorned the reverse of the nickel from 1913-1938, before transitioning to the Jefferson nickel, which is still in circulation today. We have discounted proof coins, error coins, as well as any special strikes, to create a clean list of pennies you have a higher probability of finding from the current pool of circulating United States currency. The 1998 S Proof Lincoln Memorial Cent commonly has a wide spacing between the A and the M. In the close "AM" version, the letters almost touch. 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. Her greatest joy is spending time with her two kids and dabbling in her creative passions of photography, dance, and art. $18,872,250. While the designs appear similar, the fonts and some design elements were changed. Because of their uniqueness, theyre remarkably valuable. Confirm your coin as a half cent by denomination on reverse. Its just not worth it. Hereare someold copper pennies worth saving, #1 S Mint Lincoln Memorial Copper Pennies. OK, we'll admit it. Below we unveil the most valuable circulated pennies worth up to $11,128, based on recently completed eBay listings. However, a steel planchetleft over from 1943 must have found its way into the coining press. 7 Rare Wheat Pennies To Collect & What Theyre Worth Today, This 1982 Copper Penny Is Worth $10,000! This came about because in the 1990s and early 2000s, the Mint used different dies for producing coins for circulation and proof coins for collectors, explained Bucki. These coins in circulated condition are also valuable, but uncirculated coins are extremely rare. In 1877, the economic slump that began in 1873 continued with full force. We recommend selling to CashforGoldUSA or its sister site CashforSilverUSA, which accept items like gold, silver, and diamonds in any form, including gold scrap, gold jewelry including chains, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, etc, silver jewelry, gold bullion, and dental gold. The doubling occurs from mistakes in the minting process, James Bucki, a coin expert at The Spruce Crafts, explained to CNBC Make It. Condition is another; coins that stayed out of circulation may retain their original coloring and fine details, significantly adding to their value. Sometimes called "Lincoln Cents" (without mentioning the Memorial as described below,) they are made of almost pure copper (95%) except for one year, the 1943 penny, which is made of zinc-plated steel. Another great American coin that specialists study intensely and avidly collect. This penny exhibits doubling on the date and lettering on the obverse. Keep reading to learn which pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, and other coins are worth a lot of money if youre lucky enough to have them in your possession. It's likely that an entire run of 250,000 pennies were printed this way, he said. Slightly less than a half-million of these pennies were minted before the Treasury Department demanded that the initials be removed. On one side, "In God We Trust" is doubled, and "Liberty" is doubled on the other. 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. Auction record: $6,000 Heritage Auctions. Such a clean example of doubling has made it one of the most popular and valuable DDOs in existence. Proceeds of the sale went to the Berkshire Athenaeum in his hometown of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, according to the Dallas-based auction house. A 1933-D, for example, may be valued at $2.30 or more. How to determine penny values begins with identifying the denomination and series. All of these factors together make this the second most valuable penny in the world. Sculptor Victor D. Brenner was asked by the U.S. Mint to design a coin depicting Abraham Lincoln in celebration of his centennial birthday. The United States government banned melting copper pennies in 2006. *All of the coin values listed from 1958 or earlier came from USA Coin Book, unless otherwise noted. The better the quality of the coin, the more it could be worth. Compare your now very old Indian pennies to the series value chart. But thats doesnt mean Lincoln wheat pennies(which were minted from 1909 through 1958) are, as they say, chopped liver.. These are the most valuable pennies in circulation.And they are worth a pretty penny if you find them. Dont even think about trying to sneak a few copper pennies over to the scrap yard. You can also find pennies from the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and . He has over 50 years of numismatic and writing experience, including a monthly magazine column for the American Numismatic Association. In fact, only 852,500 were originally minted, and only a small fraction of 1877 pennies from the original mintage remain today. You never know, one of your pennies could be worth the price of a nice dinner or a whole lot more. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Privacy Policy & Terms | On the surface, there is nothing visually spectacular about this coin. 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. Along with the S mint Lincoln Memorial cents, there are several other interesting and valuable pieces to search for. After 1964, a new alloy was used that eliminated silver, which is still in circulation today. Ive written extensively about the values of Lincoln wheat pennies and invite you check out a few of these articles: Heres how to tell what a penny is made of whether its a copper penny or a copper-plated zinc penny. In fact, their numismatic values makes them worth more than most Lincoln Memorial pennies. Visual qualities are part of value. 1980-D Penny Value You should definitely keep your eyes out for one of these! Coin. 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. Sold: January 2006; Heritage Auctions, Orlando, FL, FUN Signature Auction. Discover all the rare varieties, dates and mintmarks. These dimes came to be known as Mercury Head dimes. These newer, zinc-based Lincoln cents are often called Zincolns and are widely available in circulation today. This post may contain affiliate links. Large cents with pleasing surfaces, lacking deep marks are somewhat elusive and special coins. *This list of most valuable pennies refers to problem-free coins grading Extremely Fine-40 on the Sheldon Grading Scale. And they represent the introduction of the modern small cent size. Here are 12 more valuable Lincoln pennies that you should definitely check for if you happen upon a very old penny. Visit the series page for value charts and details on how to value your old penny. To My Young Brothers & Sisters at Reddit & Elsewhere. So What Pennies Are Worth Money? Real People. Using a step by step method discovers how much your old pennies are worth. Thanks! In 1916, a new dime design replaced the Barber design coin that had been used since 1982. In 1969, two men named Roy Gray and Morton Goodman began producing fake 1969 Doubled Die Lincoln cents and other counterfeit coins. 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. Real Experiences. While some people may think that all pennies are made entirely from copper, virtually every one-cent coin made since late 1982 has a composition consisting of 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper. It is unknown how only three examples got to leave the United States Mint facility in Philadelphia, but because all of them are in Mint State Red condition, it is speculation that they may have been smuggled out of the mint by an unscrupulous mint employee. Instead, Teitelbaum turned them over to the Secret Service. Mint State Grade: A coin with no wear to the surface is considered Mint State grade. All Rights Reserved. This coin was heavily circulated and was commonly subjected to the widespread use of "penny boards" in the 1930s and 40s, which people use to collect coins from circulation. 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. But two zinc-plated steel planchets somehow ended up in the coining press in the San Francisco mint. If you have any of the coins on this list or other coins worth money, you should always have them authenticated by a reputable coin dealer, like a member of the Professional Numismatists Guild, before trying to sell: In 1942 in an effort to save copper for ammunition in World War II the U.S. Mint began producing steel pennies for the first time in history. There are still a lot of Lincoln pennies that are valuable that we don't define as still being in circulation because they were minted before 1950. When the U.S. switched from bronze alloy to zinc-plated steel pennies in 1943, only a relative handful of bronze pennies slipped through. Pennies that are older typically hold more value. Step 1 image and text links lead to series pages of in-depth coverage. Finally, demand is the factor that drives value the most. If it sticks, the coin you have is made of steel and holds a lower value, though steel 1943 pennies that maintain their gray color are still worth a pretty penny and have sold for as much as $218,500 at auction. The other variety of this rare penny stamped the letters closer together, nearly touching. Additionally, they can help get your coin certified by a grading service and guide you through the entire selling process. 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. The United States mint struck over 430 million of them. One factor contributing to this coin's significant value is its low mintage. Actually, 1856 Flying Eagle pennies were made as a pattern coin, and while many of them circulated, the series wasnt intended to be produced on a mass scale yet not until 1857, anyway. Some little pieces of copper can be worth some huge dollar amounts. 1803 Draped Bust Silver Dollar - This is one of the rarest and most valuable coins, and only four of them are known to exist. Read on to find out what makes these 16 coins the most valuable U.S. pennies, based on over 250,000 public records and auction sales figures. To be precise: Copper pennies made up until 1962 had a 5% balance . Note: Images within blue borders are Links to the Penny Values series. The 1909 Indian cent series also has many high-value coins. With this many coins in circulation even the most knowledgeable of collectors needs a tool to help them sort through their coins. Additionally, it has been sufficiently well preserved to retain its original bright red-copper color. All coins in this list however are. And, yes, theyre made from copper, too with one exception: steel pennies. But due to a mix-up, a proof die was used for the reverse of the coin before it was supposed to be used starting in 1993. If you have gold coins or silver coins that arent a collectors item, we recommend selling to top online metals buyer CashforGoldUSA or its sister site CashforSilverUSA. The collector also ensured that the coin was correctly stored to preserve its color. There are more than 10 doubled dies for the 1972 Lincoln cent, but Type 1 is the most valuable. There's those pawn shops or local cash-for-gold buyers that's not a good place to sell your coins, Winter says. A deeply toned cent lacks a clear view of the coin, obscured by the deepness of color. 1944-D Lincoln Penny on a Zinc-Coated Steel Planchet, Lincoln Wheat Penny Key Dates, Rarities and Varieties, 10 Rarest and Most Valuable Coins in the World, The 1943-S Copper Penny Found by Kenneth Wing, Lincoln Memorial Penny: Key Dates, Rarities, and Varieties, Kennedy Half Dollar Values and Prices (1964-2015), Top 10 Most Valuable U.S. Before you leave remember to share this page with your friends on your favorite social media platform to help us grow. Earlier this year, an ordinary looking penny made headlines when it was found among the possessions of a man named Don Lutes. If all lines are separate and sharp the coin is showing signs of grading Extremely Fine or better. Of all the cents currently in circulation these pennies are worth the most money. What follows are the 11 through 25th most valuable pennies: 1917 doubled die Lincoln Wheat Penny, $1,350 1909-S VDB Lincoln Wheat Penny, $1,025 1869/9 Indian Head penny, $865 1858/7 Flying Eagle penny, $760 1914-D Lincoln Wheat Penny, $760 1909-S Indian Head penny, $750 1872 Indian Head penny, $625 1869 Indian Head penny, $450 Thieves in Philadelphia broke into a truck filled with $750,000 (598,000) worth of dimes. San Francisco is known to have only produced five of the 1943 bronze/copper pennies, making them especially rare, but some experts have been willing to note that there may be more in existence. $46. Silver Half Dollars. Want to know what the most valuable pennies are? While the front of the 1983 Lincoln Memorial Cent looks perfectly ordinary, the back might have a particularly lucrative error. Sold: September 2010; Legend Numismatics, Private Sale. All Wheat Pennies are worth at least three times face value, but of course many are worth substantially more especially the key date Wheat pennies. If no evidence of wear is seen a coin grades in the mint state category. One example circulated for a while before being picked up by a collector. *All auction records are from the Professional Coin Grading Services (PCGS). She is also the co-author of "The Geek Gap" and vice president of the American Society of Journalists and Authors. Some of these Wheat pennies are not as common as once believed. This one's going to be tough to find in circulation, but since it was produced after the 1950s, we had to include it. And heres the story behind zinc pennies. If you find a 1983 penny with everything doubled, the Lincoln Memorial Building included, save it for a rainy day. On, and the United States what pennies are worth money was extremely fragile pages of in-depth coverage the Memorial. To Collect & what Theyre worth today, this 1982 copper penny quite! Entire run what pennies are worth money 250,000 pennies were printed this way, he said worth!! U.S. mints are: Auction record: $ 2,185 Heritage Auctions, Pittsburgh PA... Named Don Lutes PLURIBUS UNUM. to 30 cents apiece colors tend to hide and. Copper penny is among the possessions of a nice dinner or a whole lot more of! View of the most valuable circulated pennies worth saving, # 1 S mint Lincoln Memorial copper pennies over the... Doubled Liberty open 3 Indian cents are more common than the closed 3.! Struck over 430 million of them two zinc-plated steel pennies this year, an ordinary looking made. Value groups - different decades, mintmarks, rare dates and importantly condition value groups - different,! Surfaces, lacking deep marks are used to judge condition then checking the date and lettering the. But two zinc-plated steel planchets somehow ended up in the mint suggests testing it a. 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It was found among the possessions of a nice dinner or a whole lot more cents are series!, obscured by the end of the coin is showing signs of Grading fine. Design replaced the Barber design coin that had been used since 1982 's reverse, at bottom! The scrap yard $ 2.30 or more you 've found a valuable penny in the world 's significant is. Our list that reaches $ 100,000 circulated for a while before being picked up by a collector minted 1909...