Wheat Penny Value

One of the most popular types of coins to collect are penny errors. This broad category includes most of the unusual Lincoln cents that have managed to escape the United States Mint over the years.

50 Most Valuable Wheat Pennies
Wheat Penny Value 1956
Wheat Penny Values 1920

This is a complex area of the hobby, as the Lincoln cent has been in production since 1909 and covers more than a century of numerous errors. What’s more, determining their values is mostly dependent on the individual magnitude of the error and the coin’s condition.

This article will provide an at-a-glance review of the most valuable errors and varieties. One should consult a Lincoln cent reference book to understand better the many varieties found among Lincoln cents. One of the best books on the topic is A Guide Book of Lincoln Cents, by Q. David Bowers (Whitman Publishing).

A List of Lincoln Cent Errors and Values

1922-D (no “D”) – $500+
1943 Bronze – $100,000+
1944 Steel – $75,000+
1955 Doubled Die Obverse – $1,000+
1969-S Doubled Die Obverse – $25,000+
1972 Doubled Die Obverse – $300+
1982-D Copper Small Date – $10,000+
1992 Close AM – $5,000+
1995 Doubled Die Obverse – $30+
1998 Wide AM – $20+
1999 Wide AM – $400+
2000 Wide AM – $20+

One of the trickiest Lincoln cent errors to catch is the 1922-D 'no D.' This is a famous example of a 'filled die' error. Grease from the coining press can get on a die, filling a design element. Coins struck with that die will be missing that design element.

50 Most Valuable Wheat Pennies

Lincoln Cent (Wheat Reverse) (1909-1958) Shop at: APMEX David Lawrence L&C Coins Collectors Corner eBay U.S. Coins Lincoln Cent (Wheat Reverse), MS Lincoln Cent (Wheat Reverse), PR.
The wheat penny is a classic iconic early 21st century American coin with a face value of 1 cent that was minted from 1909 to 1956. On a personal note we just love searching penny rolls for wheat and indian head pennies.
Collector demand is quite high for the 1909-S wheat penny, which can bring in at least $100. With a mintage of 1,825,000, the 1909 S is a very scarce coin with many people clamoring to get a hold of one. 1914-D Wheat Penny The 1914-D Lincoln cent is one of those penny rarities which just keeps getting more expensive with time.

Brenner's original reverse design featured a simple, yet bold inscription of one cent, framed by two stylized ears of wheat. The 'Wheatie' reverse was used through 1958. The 'Wheatie' reverse was used through 1958. 1909-1982 copper cent values (also known as the penny) are updated daily. This page measures the pure metal or melt value of U.S. Copper pennies, and includes an updated numismatic price range.

In the case of the 1922-D 'No D' Lincoln cent, grease filled the 'D' mint mark in a die. Lincoln cents struck with this die are missing the 'D' mint mark. This made the pennies look like they were minted in Philadelphia, which does not have a mint mark. The only reason that this famous 'no D' error was discovered, was that Philadelphia didn't make Lincoln cents in 1922.

Frequently Asked Questions About Lincoln Penny Errors

What Pennies Are Worth Keeping?

Every Lincoln cent struck before 1982 (except for the 1943 wheat penny) were made from a mostly copper composition. They are now worth closer to two cents for the metal value. Lincoln wheat cents were all bronze, struck from 1909 through 1958. Bronze Lincoln Memorial cents were struck from 1959 to 1981. (Both bronze and zinc cents were minted in 1982.) Lincoln cents have been struck from copper-coated zinc since 1982.

Beyond copper content, the collector should focus on the dates listed above. Also check any and all pennies that appear to have mistakes or other oddities on them. While further inspection may reveal many of those “errors” to be only post-mint damage, it’s best to save what looks odd first and then rule it out (or in) as an error. You wouldn't want to pass up an opportunity at saving a coin you weren’t sure about but spent out of haste or doubt.

What Year Pennies Are Valuable?

1909-S VDB Lincoln Wheat cent

The answer to this question is similar to the previous one. However, if we are adding rare regular-issue dates to this list, consider the following valuable Wheat pennies:

1909-S – $100+
1909-S VDB – $600+
1911-S – $40+
1914-D – $150+
1924-D – $30+
1931-S – $100+

The Whitman 'Red Book' Guidebook to U.S. Coins is often called the 'official price guide to US coin collecting.' The Red Book does not list mint error coins, but it does list all major varieties, such as double dies and repunched mint marks. This can help you identify valuable pennies and old coins even without a current price list.

What Is An Error Penny?

An error penny is any one-cent coin that was misstruck during production at the U.S. Mint. Strike errors include such things as broadstrikes and off-center coins. Transitional errors can happen when a coin's composition changes, but the old dies are used. Die errors include filled dies, die cracks, and die doubling. Doubled die Lincoln cents aren’t technically errors, but rather are in a class of coins known as varieties. The 1955 Double Die Obverse Lincoln cent is one of the most famous double die U.S. coins.

What Year Pennies Have Errors?

Technically, errors can be found on a Lincoln cent from any year! That’s why it’s worth paying close attention to all the coins that go through your hands, and to investigate further any coin that appears odd or unusual. If you’re looking for a more specific answer, please refer to the list above for the most notable penny errors.

What Are The Different Types Of Errors?

Some of the most common penny errors include off-center coins, broadstrikes, and clipped planchets. Note that doubled dies, repunched mint marks, and die breaks are technically not errors, but rather varieties. These anomalies were created in the die creation stage or by way of wear-related changes to the die. Coin errors are created during production of the individual coin itself.

What Is A Broadstrike Error?

A broadstrike error occurs when the coin is struck without its retaining collar in place. The retaining collar not only keeps the coin round and forms the edge, it can add lettering or designs like reeding to the edge.

A broadstrike coin is usually thinner and wider than average, since there is no collar to limit its size. To be numismatically classified as a broadstrike, the entire design must be visible. This definition helps set broadstrikes apart from off-center coins.

How Do You Tell If Your Coin Has An Error?

It’s best to compare the coin that seems to be an error to other known examples of that error. This is where educational websites and coin books can be of most help. Unfortunately, many of the things that appear to be errors to new collectors are just forms of post-mint damage and thus add no value to the coin.

The body of error coinage is so vast that it can’t feasibly be examined here in a paragraph or two. It’s best to consult an educational website or reputable reference guide for detailed information.

Two trusted sources are the Combined Organization of Numismatic Error Collectors of America (CONECA), and the two-volume Cherrypickers’ Guide to Rare Die Varieties by Bill Fivaz and J.T. Stanton (Whitman Publishing, 2008).

Which 1982 Penny Is Worth The Most?

The most valuable 1982 penny is a transitional error caused by the move from 95% copper to 99.2% zinc composition. It’s the 1982-D 'small date' Lincoln Memorial cent made from copper. There wasn't supposed to be any 'small date' bronze Lincoln cents struck in Denver in 1982.

Leftover copper planchets struck with the new 'Small Date' dies meant for zinc coins caused this error coin rarity. This is technically a 'wrong planchet error,' even though both types of blanks were meant for Lincoln cents.

The 1982-D Small Date Bronze Lincoln cent is often regarded as the “eighth variety” of a year that contained seven regular-issue Lincoln cent varieties.

The seven 'regular' 1982 Lincoln cent varieties are

1982 'Large Date' bronze;
1982 'Small Date' bronze;
1982 'Large Date' zinc;
1982 'Small Date: zinc;
1982-D 'Large Date' bronze;
1982-D 'Large Date' zinc;
1982-D 'Small Date' zinc.

The 1982-D copper small date was not discovered until 2016. It is worth more than $10,000.

How Much Is A 1999 Penny Worth?

Most 1999 pennies are worth only face value if worn. A handful of varieties are known, showing the bases of the letters “A” and “M” of 'AMERICA' on the reverse further apart from each other than usual. These so-called 1999 Wide AM pennies are coins worth around $400 each.

What Is The Rarest Penny?

That’s the $64,000 question! Ironically, the most valuable Lincoln cent ever sold is worth much more than even that. In 2010, the only known 1943-D bronze Lincoln cent sold for $1.7 million. The coin, graded by Professional Coin Grading Service as PCGS MS64BN (Brown), crossed the block at a Legend Numismatics auction. The seven-figure sale of this rare coin made headlines all around the world.

Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez is a journalist, editor, and blogger who has won multiple awards from the Numismatic Literary Guild. He has also authored numerous books, including works profiling the history of the United States Mint and United States coinage.

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Wheat Penny Error Coins & Values

Looking for reliable information regarding Wheat Penny error coins? Well, I have put together a list of every single noted error coin released from 1909 to 1958 along with pictures and estimated values and other information.

Error coins can be worth a mint as they are more rare than the ultra rare key date coins, which boost their desirability much higher amongst collectors everywhere. Below we will go through the official Wheat Penny error coins in chronological order.

1922 Wheat Penny: In 1922, the Denver Mint was the only mint to mint our Wheat Cents that year. A die with worn areas around the “D” which would indicate the “Denver” mint on the 1922 D Wheat Penny was worn. In a failed attempt to repair the worn die, the D was completely removed by accident, resulting in the “Plain 1922 D Wheat Penny”.

There are four different types of 1922 Wheat Pennies.

1922 D
1922 Weak D
1922 No D Weak Reverse
1922 No D Strong Reverse

The most desirable of the 4 different types of the 1922 Wheat Pennies is the 1922 No D with a strong reverse which can fetch anywhere between $700.00 – $1,000.00.

As you may already know, in 1943, World War II was going on and so the copper previously used to mint our Wheat Pennies was needed to manufacture supplies for the war. There is not very many of the 1943 Wheat Pennies circulating in existence today and the ones that are, are expected to fetch around $100,000.00 if you could come up with one. These were struck accidently and then released into circulation. They are considered extremely rare and 2nd the rarest of all Wheat Penny error coins to the 1944 steel Wheat Penny.

The 1943 Copper Wheat Penny error coin sold in the early 1980’s for around $10,000.00 if that gives you an idea of how valuable these error pennies are. And, so 30 plus years later that figure has gone up drastically.

The 1944 Steel Wheat Penny was accidently minted with zinc coated steel just as the 1943 Wheat Pennies were. This made the rarest of all error Wheat Pennies made. These coins can fetch a serious premium.

One of the rare 1944 Steel Wheat Pennies brought a mint of $30,000.00, while a mint 1944 S Steel Wheat Penny fetched $374,000.00!

The 1955 Double Die Wheat Penny error coin is the most plentiful of all Wheat Penny error coins and can bring a small fortune itself. It is often compared to the 1922 error coin in terms of desirability although it is much more common than the 1922.

The 1955 Double Die Wheat Penny can fetch around $1,500.00 for a very fine version of the coin. In other words, one that is in exceptional shape.

The 1959 D Wheat Penny has proven to be one of the most controversial coins to mysteriously show up on the coin marketplace in years. Many experts believe the coin to be counterfeit, without any specific reasons why. The Secret Service on the other hand has twice authenticated the 1959 D Wheat Penny. The coin was scheduled to be sold in Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles, Inc. “The Pre Long Beach Auction“, in September of 2002, but it was pulled from the auction at the eleventh hour when convicted forger Mark Hofmann claimed to have made the coin. Subsequent investigation failed to confirm this claim and the coin was re-consigned to the Goldberg’s “The Benson Collection Part III”, February 24-25, 2003, Lot 159. As of February 23, 2003, no major grading service had chosen to certify the coin as genuine.

It is hard to speculate the worth of such a coin. There is only one known to exist, and it is said to be so controversial it is hard to even imagine what it would be worth. If you have one, I’d definitely get it examined and graded by a professional immediately. It could be worth thousands and thousands of dollars.