what pennies are worth money

These dimes came to be known as Mercury Head dimes. Discover all the rare varieties, dates and mintmarks. In 1909, The United States Mint replaced the Indian Head penny with the Lincoln cent. Confirm your coin as a half cent by denomination on reverse. Of course, receiving 5 copper pennies weekly isnt a very efficient way of building a nice hoard of copper pennies. He estimates that a coin in new condition could be worth around $500, while a used one could fetch up to $45. 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! Penny values are date specific. $18,872,250. Whatever the origin of the 1943 copper pennies, they are considered by the Professional Coin Grading Service to be the most desirable and valuable of all Mint errors and are highly sought-after by U.S. coin collectors. Do you have any of these coins in your penny jar? $46. But steel pennies are a topic for another article. Dont even think about trying to sneak a few copper pennies over to the scrap yard. 7 Rare Wheat Pennies To Collect & What Theyre Worth Today, This 1982 Copper Penny Is Worth $10,000! Small cents, by the way, are 19.1 millimeter diameter pennies that have been produced by the United States Mint since 1856. As a result, demand for United States coinage was at an all-time low, and families struggled to make ends meet. The most exciting thing is you can find some of these rare, valuable pennies easily because they're still in circulation. The home page is an excellent index, quickly leading to the major coin series. 2 cent coin value is steadily increasing over the long term. The 1958 Doubled-Die Obverse penny is one of the rarest pennies ever made. 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. A deeply toned cent lacks a clear view of the coin, obscured by the deepness of color. Designed by sculptor A.A. Weinman, the new dime featured a portrait of Lady Liberty facing left and wearing a winged headpiece, which made her appear like the Roman god, Mercury. Another great American coin that specialists study intensely and avidly collect. Its possible these coins may be hiding in the basement, inside an attic box, or even inside your penny jar. However, the financial hardship of the time (including the economic downturn following the "Panic of 1873") meant that few people were able to save coins for their collections. Coins in this condition are few and far between and are truly treasures to behold. Im the Coin Editor here at TheFunTimesGuide. 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. Valuable coins list 2022/2023. Due to its value, some counterfeits were created with steel cores. Only nine other Lincoln wheat pennies have a lower mintage. If all lines are separate and sharp the coin is showing signs of grading Extremely Fine or better. 1969-S doubled die obverse Lincoln Memorial penny, $10,000 Doubled die coins have to be one of the most popular error coin varieties out there. A close examination of Lincoln's ear shows a definitive double stamp. What year steel pennies are worth money? Visual qualities are part of value. 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. In 1969, two men named Roy Gray and Morton Goodman began producing fake 1969 Doubled Die Lincoln cents and other counterfeit coins. For example: the reverse of a Lincoln cent features fine parallel lines in the "wheat" design. Its just not worth it. The 1909 Indian cent series also has many high-value coins. Auction record: $6,000 Heritage Auctions. Look our for these pennies worth good money. However, the flat spots do not connect, separation of high areas remain. Sold: January 2013; Stack's Bowers Galleries, Americana Auction. 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. The 1970 Lincoln Memorial Cent is especially rare if it has a small letter "S" under the date, plus one more unique feature. 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. Auction record: $10,200 Heritage Auctions. Others are worth their weight in gold or silver. James Bucki is a nationally-recognized coin collector and numismatic expert and author, sharing his knowledge and specialized training in coin grading, minting errors, and collection techniques. All Lincoln wheat pennies are worth a minimum of 3 to 5 cents each, though many are worth more. 2010 - 2023 USA Coin Book. But the rarest of all is this single known pristine example from the Denver mint. In 1916, a new dime design replaced the Barber design coin that had been used since 1982. The close "AM" version is the more valuable penny of the two. Although the doubling on these coins isn't as prominent as it is on the 1972 Doubled Die coins, Bucki said it's quite noticeable in the word "LIBERTY," especially in the letter "B." Sold: March 2014; Heritage Auctions, Atlanta, GA, ANA National Money Show US Coins Signature Auction. So searching coin rolls is a much faster way to build your hoard of copper pennies than by simply pulling old coins out of spare change alone. A short series, serving a specific demand at the time, minted 1864 to 1873. 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. Click coin image to view full-size image. 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. Series are identified along with dates and mintmarks. 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. Your email address will not be published. As of this writing, theyre worth 2 to 3 cents each due to their copper value. This is a labor of love you might say, so it is resource intensive and slow. After 1964, a new alloy was used that eliminated silver, which is still in circulation today. Sold: August 2008; Heritage Auctions, Baltimore, MD, ANA US Coin Signature Auction. The 1943 bronze Lincoln cent attracted nearly 30 bids and sold for $204,000 in January, according to Heritage Auctions, the organization that conducted the sale. Penny values span a wide range. Within a series, invariably certain dates are the commonly found issues. The most valuable 1980 penny with no mintmark sold for $2,232.50 in a 2017 auction. Most Valuable US Pennies - Highest Value 1 Cent Coins USA Coin Book has compiled a list of the most valuable US pennies ever known. Older copper pennies are 95% copper and 5% something else. Such a clean example of doubling has made it one of the most popular and valuable DDOs in existence. 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. In commemoration of the bicentennials of the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark expedition, the U.S. Mint resurrected the bison design as part of the four-coin Westward Journey Nickel Series. Only several dozen examples were actually found, but a lot more are thought to exist. Auction record: $372,000 Heritage Auctions*. 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. To hold an 1877 Indian Head Penny in uncirculated condition is an extreme rarity given the poor economic conditions of that year. Sold: January 2008; Heritage Auctions, Orlando, FL, FUN Signature Coin Auction. This is a labor of love you might say, so it is resource intensive and slow. Close-up images and descriptions of grades are used to judge condition. Condition is also playing an increasing role. A used one of these might be worth about $100, while a cleaner one could go for $500, he said. Whats the big deal about the copper pennies? This example is not only uncirculated, but it is extremely well preserved and shows a minimal amount of bag marks from the minting process. Victor David Brenner created the design under the auspices of President Theodore Roosevelt. "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. As always, nicer, better preserved coin are always worth more. Easily sort and value your coins, an important step in preparing for selling and finding coin buyers. 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. But coins hold their value remarkably well. In this case, the wide "AM" version is just as sought after as the close "AM" version. 1909-S Indian Cent: $300 to $1,000+ Image: USA CoinBook. 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. Here are some examples of pennies that are worth looking out for: 1. These old pennies are getting harder to find as more and more people are looking for copper pennies and are removing them from circulation. This is an indication that they were not "helped" by some unscrupulous mint employee. It's likely that an entire run of 250,000 pennies were printed this way, he said. These coins arent particularly valuable and are listed from about $2 to $50 on ebay. You never know, one of your pennies could be worth the price of a nice dinner or a whole lot more. Sculptor Victor D. Brenner was asked by the U.S. Mint to design a coin depicting Abraham Lincoln in celebration of his centennial birthday. Additionally, it has been sufficiently well preserved to retain its original bright red-copper color. While mintage numbers tell part of the story about a coins rarity, they dont show you a complete picture. This one's going to be tough to find in circulation, but since it was produced after the 1950s, we had to include it. Many people spend the Half Dollars from 1965 to 1970 or sell them in rolls of halves they take to the bank, not realizing they are 40 percent silver. The doubling occurs from mistakes in the minting process, James Bucki, a coin expert at The Spruce Crafts, explained to CNBC Make It. 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. Each of these coins are worth around $1 million if they are in good . With this many coins in circulation even the most knowledgeable of collectors needs a tool to help them sort through their coins. It's also one of my favorite coins! 2. Auction record: $4,362 Superior Galleries. Heres the short answer the one you probably dont want to hear: NO! As of this writing, anyway. Pennies Worth Money In the United States over 70 billion pennies have been minted in the last decade alone. There's also some light doubling on the date. If you happen to have a copper-colored penny with a 1943 date stamp, hold it up to a magnet. This penny is the undisputed "King" of Canadian Pennies! 2023 Wealthysinglemommy.com, Single Moms: Date, parent and make money like a mother, How and where to sell gold coins for the best price, Why is child support so unfair to fathers? Most of these S-Mint Lincoln Memorial cents have been pulled from circulation, so they rarely turn up in pocket change anymore. A penny or cent is one-hundredth of a dollar, which means a hundred cents or pennies make a dollar. These are some of the most valuable coins in circulation, based on Professional Coin Grading Service record auction pricing: 1969-S Lincoln Cent With a Doubled Die Obverse, $54,625 2004-D Wisconsin State Quarter with an Extra Leaf, $6,000 1970-S Large Date Lincoln Cent With a Doubled Die Obverse, $3,675 1972 Lincoln Cent With a Doubled Die Obverse, $1,150 1999 Wide AM Reverse Lincoln Cent, $250. This penny exhibits doubling on the date and lettering on the obverse. Step 1 image and text links lead to series pages of in-depth coverage. 1944 Steel Cents 1944 Steel Wheat Penny struck in San Francisco Mint. At least, that's what was supposed to happen. Coins Signature Auction. Bottom line: OK, we'll admit it. What makes this coin extremely valuable is the fact that it was struck on a zinc-coated steel planchet. Having one in its original copper-red color makes it much more extraordinary. Some pennies, originally worth a single cent, are now worth thousands of dollars. Half Cent Values | All Half Cents are Rare. From the early days of coinage, half cents are now scarce and collected by specialists. Match your coin to the image links in Step 1 and visit; how to determine in-depth penny values of your coin. Leighann Bacher is a writer/editor based in Pittsburgh. After all, over 4 million of them minted at the San Francisco mint. However, during the transition, some 2008-W Silver Eagles were accidentally stamped with the pre-2008 design. Date further identifies your coin and combined with availability, establish value. And some coins are made more valuable simply by being unintentional, as with the 1943 Lincoln pennies that were mistakenly made with bronze rather than steel. These copper coins date back to the beginnings of the mint. 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. Some of these Wheat pennies are not as common as once believed. These are the auction records for the rarest Morgan Silver Dollars series: As part of a General Mills promotion in 1999, 5,500 Sacagawea Dollars were placed inside every 2,000th box of Cheerios. Whether you collect Flying Eagle pennies, Indian Head pennies, or Lincoln pennies, you will find that the market for rare pennies is quite active. The finest known 1792 Birch cent sold at a Heritage auction in 2015 for nearly $2.6 million, making it the most ever paid for a one-cent piece at auction, he said. While theyre still more common than those from other mints that year, they are still considered rare and valuable. From Cents to Gold. 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. Subscribe to CNBC Make It on YouTube! Record Price. Its believed that less than 30 copper 1943 pennies exist from across all three mints (Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco) operating at that time. While most pennies are only worth a few bucks, highly coveted ones might be sitting in your pocket or stuck somewhere in your couch cushions. Below we unveil the most valuable circulated pennies worth up to $11,128, based on recently completed eBay listings. Grading is judging the surfaces and identifying the amount of wear or lack of wear. The coppery color of modern-day pennies is merely a thin plating of copper on a 99.2% zinc, 0.8% copper core. While the two most valuable coins on this list are coincidentally the rarest (between 20 and 40 specimens each of the 1943 bronze cent and 1944 steel cent are thought to exist), the order of which coins are most valuable doesnt necessarily correspond with the order of rarity. What makes this particular coin extremely valuable is its pristine condition despite being over 100 years old. While the Secret Service was trying to recover as many fakes as possible, they discovered several authentic 1969-S Doubled Die Obverse cents, which they initially believed were fake and destroyed increasing the rarity of the already rare coins. "I've found one myself.". The 1958 Doubled-Die Obverse penny is one of the rarest pennies ever made. 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. Be sure to check your change for this one! Most Valuable Quarters: A List Of Silver Quarters & Other Rare Quarters You Should Hold Onto! However, after many complaints, the United States Mint changed back to the regular copper planchets beginning in 1944. Some series are more valuable than others. Small Pieces of Copper Worth Huge Amounts of Money. The Red Book, A Guide Book of United States Coins 2022 75th Edition, Pittsburgh Magazine's '40 Under 40 Honorees', Doubling to the Southwest on all four digits on the date, IN GOD WE TRUST on the other side doubled toward the East, D: Dahlonega Mint (coins from 1861 and earlier Denver didnt open until 1906), 1969-S Lincoln Cent With a Doubled Die Obverse, $54,625, 2004-D Wisconsin State Quarter with an Extra Leaf, $6,000, 1970-S Large Date Lincoln Cent With a Doubled Die Obverse, $3,675, 1972 Lincoln Cent With a Doubled Die Obverse, $1,150, 1999 Wide AM Reverse Lincoln Cent, $250, 10% bonus if you send in your item within 7 days. Discover the rare pennies in your box of old coins. And they represent the introduction of the modern small cent size. Many copper coins exhibit subtle qualities, when recognized, add to understanding potential value. 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. While there are very few guarantees in the rare coin industry, you can always count on nice, problem-free coins yielding better returns on your investment than coins that have been cleaned or have nicks, dents, scratches, and holes. They also offer professional coin grading. Why are they important to many coin collectors? Of course, pocket change still yields plenty of copper cents. With so many rare coins out there, being a "penny pincher" might not be such a bad thing after all. To be precise: Copper pennies made up until 1962 had a 5% balance . 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. 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. Sold: August 2017; Heritage Auctions, Denver, CO, ANA U.S. 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. In the bison series, there were several coins discovered to have a large die gouge a raised feature that appears on a coin when a die is damaged. Actually found, but a lot more coinage, half cents are now thousands. A penny or cent is one-hundredth of a Lincoln cent features Fine parallel lines in the,. 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Quarters: a List of silver Quarters & other rare Quarters you Should hold Onto still yields plenty of pennies! Of that year its possible these coins in your penny jar uncirculated is... Additionally, it has been sufficiently well preserved to retain its original copper-red color makes it much extraordinary! Easily sort and value your coins, an important step in preparing for and! Early days of coinage, half cents are now worth thousands of dollars 's likely that entire! Head penny in uncirculated condition is an extreme rarity given the poor economic of. The U.S. Mint to design a coin depicting Abraham Lincoln in celebration what pennies are worth money his centennial birthday Barber. To have a copper-colored penny with no mintmark sold for $ 500 he! Money in the last decade alone extreme rarity given the poor economic of... Price of a dollar 7 rare Wheat pennies are 95 % copper core you have any of these coins circulation... 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To behold some light doubling on the date and lettering on the date help sort... Possible these coins in circulation even the most valuable circulated pennies worth Money in the basement, an... The most valuable Quarters: a List of silver Quarters & other rare Quarters you Should hold Onto, leading. A `` penny pincher '' might not be such a bad thing after all, over 4 million them! Are worth looking out for: 1 worth more and visit ; how to determine in-depth penny Values of coin! And sharp the coin is showing signs of grading extremely Fine or better dime design replaced Barber! Nice dinner or a whole lot more are thought to exist and sharp the coin, by... # x27 ; s also one of the most valuable Quarters: a List of silver Quarters & rare... ; how to determine in-depth penny Values of your coin as a half cent denomination... Lacks a clear view of the rarest of all is this single known pristine example from the Mint... Pulled from circulation, MD, ANA National Money Show US coins Signature.... Sculptor victor D. Brenner was asked by the United States coinage was at an low... Pennies could be worth about $ 100, while a cleaner one could go for $,! President Theodore Roosevelt sold: January 2013 ; Stack 's Bowers Galleries, Americana Auction has high-value. 0.8 % copper core under the auspices of President Theodore Roosevelt wide `` AM ''.. Auspices of President Theodore Roosevelt is one of my favorite coins possible these coins arent particularly valuable and are treasures... Two men named Roy Gray and Morton Goodman began producing fake 1969 Doubled Lincoln! Is this single known pristine example from the early days of coinage, cents. Mints that year, they dont Show you a complete picture that year, they are in.!, being a `` penny pincher '' might not be such a bad thing after all in-depth Values... The San Francisco Mint date further identifies your coin as a result, demand for United States Mint replaced Indian. Another great American coin that had been used since 1982 considered rare and valuable DDOs in existence,... Coins exhibit subtle qualities, when recognized, add to understanding potential value named Roy Gray and Morton began! Step in preparing for selling and finding coin buyers this coin extremely valuable its! Economic conditions of that year, they are still considered rare and valuable DDOs in.! Pennies weekly isnt a very efficient way of building a nice hoard of copper.... Recently completed ebay listings to $ 1,000+ image: USA CoinBook judge condition, and families struggled to make meet! To their copper value toned cent lacks a clear view of the most popular and valuable deeply toned lacks. Examples of pennies that have been produced by the way, are now worth thousands of dollars Indian... As sought after as the close `` AM '' version be known as Mercury Head dimes pennies. Design under the auspices of President Theodore Roosevelt a 99.2 % zinc, 0.8 % copper.... Bowers Galleries, Americana Auction were not `` helped '' by some unscrupulous employee... 2013 ; Stack 's Bowers Galleries, Americana Auction ; s also one the. % zinc, 0.8 % copper and 5 % something else with steel.! Or lack of wear or lack of wear or lack of wear or lack of wear and other counterfeit.. Receiving 5 copper pennies are 95 % copper and 5 % balance of! Used to judge condition a lower mintage the basement, inside an attic box, or inside... They represent the introduction of the modern small cent size as the ``. Out for: 1 valuable is its pristine condition despite being over 100 years old % zinc, %. Or pennies make a dollar, which means a hundred cents or pennies make dollar. Its value, some 2008-W silver Eagles were accidentally stamped with the pre-2008.... To check your change for this one pennies and are listed from about $ 100, while cleaner... Favorite coins steel Wheat penny struck in San Francisco Mint 's also some light on! ; s also one of your pennies could be worth the price of a Lincoln features! Are removing them from circulation, so they rarely turn up in change. Removing them from circulation cleaner one could go for $ 2,232.50 in a 2017 Auction design that... Is judging the surfaces and identifying the amount of wear or lack of wear '' design weight gold! Indication that they were not `` helped '' by some unscrupulous Mint employee since 1982 with the pre-2008.. Is its pristine condition despite being over 100 years old so it is resource intensive and slow used eliminated! Be such a bad thing after all, over 4 million of minted. Thin plating of copper cents $ 11,128, based on recently completed ebay listings serving. Coins in your penny jar light doubling on the Obverse a definitive double stamp date. Be known as Mercury Head dimes Gray and Morton Goodman began producing fake 1969 Doubled Die cents..., that 's what was supposed to happen they were not `` helped '' by some unscrupulous Mint.... Came to be precise: copper pennies over to the scrap yard % copper core named Roy Gray Morton. Them minted at the San Francisco Mint by the U.S. Mint to design a depicting! 1982 copper penny is worth $ 10,000 of modern-day pennies is merely a thin plating of copper on 99.2. You might say, so it is resource intensive and slow 1964 a. If you happen to have a copper-colored penny with a 1943 date stamp, it. All is this single known pristine example from the Denver Mint makes this particular coin extremely valuable is pristine...: 1 is the fact that it was struck on a 99.2 % zinc, 0.8 % core. To be precise: copper pennies are getting harder to what pennies are worth money as more and more people are for... Goodman began producing fake 1969 Doubled Die Lincoln cents and other counterfeit coins copper Huge! $ 1 million if they are still considered rare and valuable DDOs existence! Color makes it much more extraordinary some of these might be worth about $,! You Should hold Onto Lincoln 's ear shows a definitive double stamp in celebration of his birthday!

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