Most pennies are worth 1 cent, but to coin collectors, some are worth more than their weight in gold. For example, many of the doubled die entries on the list above (such as the 1971, 1972, 1983, and 1984 doubled die Lincoln cents) are much scarcer in number than the 1877 Indian Head cent or 1914-D Lincoln cent, but are not as widely collected, thus the values of those somewhat more obscure coins are lower. 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. Sold: February 2016; Heritage Auctions, Long Beach, CA, US Coins Signature Auction. Lincoln pennies minted from 1959 to 1982 are made of 95 percent copper and have about 2.5 cents worth of copper in them. In 2005, a collector discovered that some of these Sacagawea Cheerios Dollars had detailed veins in the eagles' tail feathers. #2 Other Copper Pennies That Are Valuable. Thisstray planchet created a great rarity treasured by coin collectors, and they are willing to pay handsomely to add this coin to their collection. From rare dates to rare very small details, if they are in your box you will find the rare pennies. Some of these one cent coins are worth hundreds! Proceeds of the sale went to the Berkshire Athenaeum in his hometown of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, according to the Dallas-based auction house. Roughly 250,000 of these pennies were minted, he said. This is an indication that they were not "helped" by some unscrupulous mint employee. 1873 doubled Liberty Open 3 Indian Head penny, $1,650 This is simply another version of the 1873 doubled die Indian Head penny. 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. Lutes owned the coin until his death in 2018. 2 cent coin value is steadily increasing over the long term. A 1933-D, for example, may be valued at $2.30 or more. These are the most valuable pennies in circulation.And they are worth a pretty penny if you find them. 1943 copper Lincoln Wheat Penny, $45,000 A Philadelphia Mint version of the 1943 copper penny may not be worth quite as much as a San Francisco Mint or Denver Mint example in Extremely Fine grade on the Sheldon Grading Scale, but its a rare coin nevertheless. But the rarest of all is this single known pristine example from the Denver mint. Selling Wheat Pennies and Receiving the Highest Price. A deeply toned cent lacks a clear view of the coin, obscured by the deepness of color. However, during the transition, some 2008-W Silver Eagles were accidentally stamped with the pre-2008 design. The coppery color of modern-day pennies is merely a thin plating of copper on a 99.2% zinc, 0.8% copper core. There are about 45,000 of these coins in existence. Good Grade: Heavy wear and a lack of remaining design is typical of a penny in Good grade. Compare and identify your coin to the picture, click on the image, and go immediately to your old coin value. As fate would have it, "some of the old bronze planchets got stuck in the big tote bins that the Mint used to feed the coin presses at the end of 1942," he said. 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. I primarily collect and study U.S. coins produced during the 20th century. This coin is the second example of a 1943 Lincoln cent that should have been struck on a zinc-plated steel planchet but was instead coined on a bronze planchet. This page is a work in progress, share to social media and check back later for updates. Sold: March 2014; Heritage Auctions, Atlanta, GA, ANA National Money Show US Coins Signature Auction. 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. Sold: January 2006; Heritage Auctions, Orlando, FL, FUN Signature Auction. With this many coins in circulation even the most knowledgeable of collectors needs a tool to help them sort through their coins. Are you concerned the precious metals train has left the station without you. Both the 1943 copper Lincoln cent and 1944 steel Lincoln penny are worth an incredible amount of money because they're so rare. Half Cent Values | All Half Cents are Rare. As example; a 1907 Indian penny is available in all grades and affordable. Many people who hoard copper coinsthese days are simply waiting for thepenny melting laws to change, which may happen someday. Some series are more valuable than others. Out of all the leftover zinc-coated steel used in minting these pennies, Philadelphia produced about 30 of them. You'll also spot a faintly visible ghost-like "D" mintmark floating halfway above the primary "D" mintmark. Additionally, it has been sufficiently well preserved to retain its original bright red-copper color. It simply is a regular-issue piece that was struck in relatively low numbers. The most exciting thing is you can find some of these rare, valuable pennies easily because they're still in circulation. 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 Without further ado, my Top 10 Rare Canadian Pennies! Record Price. Copyright 2007-2023 Daniel A. HarrisAll Rights Reserved. These steel planchets were used primarily in 1943. Visit the series page for value charts and details on how to value your old penny. But steel pennies are a topic for another article. There are believed to only be about 20 of these rare coins in the world. All Rights Reserved. "Several prototypes for the cent were produced in 1792, including the large Birch cent.". You Could Find This Rare Penny In Your Pocket Change Heres What To Look For, 1968-S, 261,311,510 business strikes minted, 1960-D/D Small Date Over Large Date, $100. 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. However, an 1877 Indian penny is rare and highly valuable. A typical example, such as an Indian penny in fine grade, has flat areas within the hair and face and above her eye. Coins are in order from Most to Least expensive. Sold: August 2008; Heritage Auctions, Baltimore, MD, ANA US Coin Signature Auction. Using a step by step method discovers how much your old pennies are worth. Of all the cents currently in circulation these pennies are worth the most money. Coins Found in Pocket Change. *All auction records are from the Professional Coin Grading Services (PCGS). Pennies that are older typically hold more value. Leighann Bacher is a writer/editor based in Pittsburgh. While the The Coinage Act of 1873 demonetized silver, putting an end to silver dollar production, the Bland-Allison Act was passed in 1878 in response to poor economic conditions at the time. Discover the rare pennies in your box of old coins. Coins Signature Auction. Ive authored nearly 1,000 articles here at The Fun Times Guide to Coins (many of them with over 50K shares), and I welcome your coin questions in the comments below! Grading is judging the surfaces and identifying the amount of wear or lack of wear. (Most pennies minted that year have very definite spaces between those letters.). Separate your old wheat pennies into the main value groups - different decades, mintmarks, rare dates and importantly condition. Wheat pennies begin at 2 cents to highs found with early colonial large cents valued in the thousands. 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. In addition to the doubling of wording, the date and "S" mint mark are also doubled. "I know a couple of people who have found these in their pocket change.". As with the 1909-S VDB Lincoln Penny, this highly valued penny proof bears all three of the coin designer's initials: "VDB." Step 1 image and text links lead to series pages of in-depth coverage. Bucki estimates that at least 250,000 coins released with the doubled die. How often have you found an S mint Lincoln Memorial copper penny in pocket change? 1931-S Wheat Penny Value: $70-$150 Auction Record: $18,600 Shop 1931-S Wheat Cents on eBay.com The 1931 S Lincoln Wheat Penny is a key date in the series, with only 866,000 coins minted. Of course, receiving 5 copper pennies weekly isnt a very efficient way of building a nice hoard of copper pennies. Only several dozen examples were actually found, but a lot more are thought to exist. Copper coins when first minted began as shades of bright red-orange-gold. Read more in our privacy policy. All of these factors together make this the second most valuable penny in the world. That makes them much easier to find than the 1969 Doubled Die coins. 1873 doubled Liberty closed 3 Indian Head penny, $2,400 Another doubled die cent, this piece features doubling in the word LIBERTY. If you think you've found a valuable penny, Stone suggests consulting a professional. Double-die pennies, coins struck twice by a metal die during the minting process resulting in doubled artwork . 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. Any one of these coins in circulated or uncirculated condition is extremely rare. Many large cents in nice condition with abundant detail remaining, are a valuable find. Up to this point, coin designers used only the first initial of their last name. As a collector, you eventually reach the point where you need to purchase your coins from a coin dealer or at auction to achieve the quality you want. Of all the modern Lincoln cents the Wheat Penny stands out the most. Using a step by step method discovers how much your old pennies are worth. The home page is an excellent index, quickly leading to the major coin series. 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