1999 Penny Value: Wide AM, Close AM and 1999-S Proofs

A 1999 penny is worth one cent in circulated condition, as of October 2026. The exception is the 1999 Wide AM, a Philadelphia cent struck with a proof-style reverse, the scarcest of the three Wide AM years. Heritage has sold red uncirculated examples for about $100 to $290 in MS64 to MS66, $660 to $1,300 in MS67 and $3,960 in MS68. Worn ones bring roughly $20 to $100.

The Mint struck more than 11.5 billion cents dated 1999, so almost every coin in a jar is ordinary. What makes the date worth a careful look is a reverse die mix-up at the Mint that produced two catalogued varieties, one in pocket change and one in proof sets.

Quick answer

• A circulated 1999 or 1999-D penny is worth one cent, as of October 2026.
• A 1999 Wide AM (FS-901), no mint mark, sells for roughly $20 to $100 worn and about $100 to $290 in MS64 to MS66 red at Heritage.
• Top Wide AM grades are where the money is: about $660 to $1,300 in MS67 red, and $3,960 for an MS68 red at Heritage in November 2020.
• The 1999-S Close AM proof has sold for about $115 to $220 in PR69 Deep Cameo at Heritage; a normal 1999-S proof cent is worth a few dollars.
• Ordinary 1999 cents bring real money only near perfection, about $190 in MS68 red and $310 for a 1999-D in MS69 red.

How do you value a 1999 penny, step by step?

Check the mint mark, check the A and M in AMERICA, confirm with the FG initials, then judge grade and color.

1. Read the mint mark under the date. No letter means Philadelphia, D means Denver, and S means a proof from a proof set. The Wide AM is a Philadelphia coin with no mint mark; the Close AM variety is an S proof.
2. Turn the coin over and find AMERICA. It runs along the top of the Lincoln Memorial reverse. Use a 5x or 10x loupe and look at the bottoms of the A and the M.
3. Decide Close or Wide. On a normal 1999 business strike, the Close AM, the feet of the A and M nearly touch. On the Wide AM, there is a clear gap between them, roughly the width of one stroke of the letters.
4. Check the FG initials. Frank Gasparro's initials sit to the lower right of the Memorial. The Lincoln Cent Resource, a long-running variety reference site, calls this the better test: a Wide AM has the FG close to the building, and a Close AM has it farther away. It is the opposite of the letters, which is easy to remember once you see it.
5. Rule out a worn die. Lincoln Cent Resource warns that letters can spread apart as a die wears. If the gap looks wide but the FG sits far from the building, it is a normal coin.
6. For proofs, reverse the logic. A normal 1999-S proof has a Wide AM. A 1999-S proof with the A and M nearly touching is the rare Close AM proof.
7. Judge wear and color. Look at Lincoln's cheek and the columns of the Memorial for flat spots. Uncirculated cents are graded red, red-brown or brown, and the prices in this guide are mostly for red coins.
8. Check for corrosion. The 1999 cent is copper-plated zinc and weighs 2.5 grams. Spots, bubbles and pitting cut the value to face, even on a Wide AM.

What is a 1999 penny worth?

Figures as of October 2026, from Heritage and other auction results compiled by CoinValueChecker and eBay sold listings. Circulated 1999 and 1999-D cents, apart from the Wide AM, are worth one cent.

Two things stand out. First, the Wide AM is a real step up from the 2000 Wide AM, which trades for a few dollars worn. The Lincoln Cent Resource ranks the 1999 as the scarcest of the three Wide AM dates, ahead of the 1998 and 2000. Second, the steep jump between MS66 and MS67 is normal for modern cents: the prices sit almost entirely in the top two or three grades.

What is the difference between Close AM and Wide AM?

The Close AM is the normal 1999 business strike reverse; the Wide AM is a proof reverse used by mistake. According to the Lincoln Cent Resource, every Lincoln cent from 1959 to 1992 had a Wide AM. The Mint created a new reverse with the letters close together in 1992, used it for business strikes from 1993, and kept the Wide AM for proofs from 1994. In 1998, 1999 and 2000 some proof-style dies struck ordinary Philadelphia cents. In 1998 and 1999, it also went the other way: some San Francisco proofs were struck with the business-strike Close AM reverse.

So the word that matters depends on the coin. For a plain 1999 with no mint mark, Wide is the variety. For a 1999-S proof, Close is the variety. People searching "1999 close AM penny value" usually have a normal business strike, which is worth one cent.

PCGS and NGC attribute both varieties as FS-901, the number from the Cherrypickers' Guide to Rare Die Varieties. A raw coin sold as a Wide AM is only as reliable as the seller's eye, and the price gap between raw and attributed coins reflects that.

Which 1999 proofs are worth money?

Look at every 1999-S proof cent you own, because the Close AM proof is easy to check without opening the set. Normal 1999-S proof cents are common and sell for about $5 to $25 in PR69 Deep Cameo. Heritage results for the Close AM proof in PR69 Deep Cameo run from about $115 to $220 between 2017 and 2021, and lower grades bring less.

The 1999 proof sets came in clad and silver versions, and both include the same copper-plated zinc cent. The 1999 sets also carry the first five state quarters, which is why they are common in drawers. Our guide to whether proof sets are worth anything explains what the rest of a set is worth.

A worked example

Say you are going through a jar of change and pull out a 1999 penny with no mint mark that is lightly worn and brown. Under a loupe, the A and M in AMERICA have a clear gap at the bottom. You compare it with a 2005 cent from the same jar, which has the letters nearly touching, and the FG on your 1999 sits noticeably closer to the right corner of the Memorial.

That is very likely a 1999 Wide AM. Because it is worn and brown, it is worth roughly $20 to $100 to a collector, not the hundreds you see in charts for red uncirculated coins. Grading would cost a large share of that. The sensible choice is to sell it on eBay with sharp close-ups of AMERICA and the FG initials, or have a dealer confirm it first. If it had been bright red and uncirculated with no marks, sending it to PCGS or NGC for attribution and a grade would make sense, because an MS66 red could bring $200 to $290.

Is it worth grading a 1999 penny?

Only a Wide AM in high grade, a Close AM proof, or an ordinary cent that might reach MS68 or MS69. Grading fees are charged per coin and, with shipping, often cost more than a modern cent is worth below the top grades. An ordinary 1999 in MS66 red is worth a few dollars. A Wide AM in MS64 at about $100 to $185 covers the fee with a little to spare, and the case improves quickly from MS66 upward. Our coin grading scale guide explains what separates the grades that matter here.

Common mistakes

• Checking only the front. Both varieties are on the reverse; the date side looks the same.
• Looking for a Wide AM on a 1999-D. The listed Wide AM is a Philadelphia coin with no mint mark.
• Trusting the gap alone. Worn dies can spread the letters. Always confirm with the FG position.
• Pricing a worn coin from the MS67 column. Wear and brown color take a Wide AM from hundreds to tens of dollars.
• Calling plating bubbles an error. Blisters and spots are corrosion on the zinc core and are worth face value.
• Mixing up the 1999 and the 2000 Wide AM. The 2000 is the most common of the three and worth much less; see our 2000 penny value guide.
• Cleaning the coin. It strips the thin copper plating; see should you clean old coins.

How WorthPic reads 1999 penny photos

WorthPic runs on the newest and most capable AI model available, tuned for exactly this kind of identification. From photos of both sides it reads the date and mint mark, judges wear and color, and compares the spacing of the A and M in AMERICA with the position of the FG initials to separate the Wide AM from the normal Close AM, or, on a 1999-S proof, the Close AM proof from the normal one. It also notes corrosion and obvious mint errors. It then gives an honest value range in US dollars with a most likely figure and says which close-up would settle the question. It cannot measure a fraction of a millimeter from a phone photo, cannot judge true red color under every light, and cannot tell MS66 from MS67. It identifies and estimates. It does not authenticate, grade or appraise.

What to photograph

• The reverse straight on, in even light, filling the frame.
• AMERICA close up, especially the base of the A and M.
• The FG initials and the right corner of the Memorial close up.
• The obverse straight on, with the date and the space under it sharp.
• For proofs, the coin through the holder, plus the whole set so the year and mint are clear.
• For uncirculated coins, one photo in daylight to show the true color.

When to get it looked at in person

A circulated 1999 or 1999-D cent does not need an expert. A worn Wide AM can be sold raw with good photos, though a coin club or local dealer can confirm the AM spacing and FG position in a minute. For a red, uncirculated Wide AM, a 1999-S Close AM proof in a nice set, or an ordinary cent that looks flawless under a loupe, PCGS or NGC attribution and grading is what buyers pay for. For the other dates in the jar, start with what pennies are worth money.

Sources

• CoinValueChecker: 1999 penny value: compiled Heritage, Legend and Stack's Bowers results for the Wide AM, Close AM proof, 1999 and 1999-D, and mintages.
• Lincoln Cent Resource: 1998, 1999 and 2000 Wide AMs: the history of the two reverses, the FG test and the rarity ranking.
• Wikipedia: Lincoln cent: the copper-plated zinc composition used since 1982 and the change to the Memorial reverse.