Almost every penny in a jar is worth one cent, and wheat cents from before 1959 are worth approximately 3 to 10 cents each. The pennies worth real money fall into two groups: a handful of low-mintage dates from the wheat era (1909-S VDB, 1914-D, 1922 plain, 1931-S), and a set of famous mint mistakes, including the 1943 copper and 1944 steel cents, the 1955, 1969-S, 1972 and 1995 doubled dies, and the 1992 close AM. Those run from about $20 to well over $100,000. Everything else is face value, and that includes nearly all shiny old pennies, nearly all "strange looking" pennies and every penny that has been in a fire, a vise or a chemistry experiment.
Quick answer
- Most pennies are worth one cent; wheat cents (1909-1958) are worth 3 to 10 cents.
- Look at the date, the mint mark under it, and the lettering for clear doubling.
- Key dates and known errors are worth $20 to six figures, condition multiplying the price.
How to check yours, step by step
Work through the jar in this order. It is faster than looking at every coin for everything at once, and it keeps the rare candidates separate from the noise.
- Sort by reverse. Turn every coin tails up. The two wheat stalks (1909-1958) go in one pile, the Lincoln Memorial building (1959-2008) in another, the four bicentennial designs of 2009 in a third, and the shield (2010 onward) in a fourth. Shield cents can go back into circulation unless one has an obvious striking error.
- Read the date and mint mark. On every Lincoln cent the date sits to the right of Lincoln's bust, and the mint mark is directly below it: D for Denver, S for San Francisco, no letter for Philadelphia. Pennies never carry a P, with the single exception of 2017. Use a 5x or 10x loupe and light from the side.
- Pull the key dates. From the wheat pile, set aside 1909-S, any 1909 with VDB on the bottom edge of the reverse, 1914-D, 1922 with no visible D, 1931-S and every 1943 and 1944. The wheat penny guide covers the semi-keys from 1910-S to 1926-S.
- Test 1943 and 1944 cents with a magnet. A 1943 cent should stick, because it is zinc-coated steel. A 1944 cent should not stick. Any 1943 that does not stick, or any 1944 that does, goes on a scale. The 1943 steel penny guide explains the test in detail.
- Check the doubled die dates for doubling. On 1955, 1969-S, 1972 and 1995 cents, look at LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST and the date. On 1983 cents, look at the reverse lettering (ONE CENT, E PLURIBUS UNUM). Real doubling shows two distinct, rounded outlines of each letter. A flat, shelf-like shadow on one side is machine doubling and worth nothing extra.
- Check the AM on 1992, 1998, 1999 and 2000 cents. On the reverse, look at the A and M in AMERICA. On a normal 1992 they are separated by a small gap; a 1992 where they almost touch is the rare close AM. On 1998, 1999 and 2000 the reverse is the opposite: normal coins have the letters nearly touching, and a clear gap is the wide AM variety.
- Weigh any 1982. A kitchen scale that reads to 0.1 gram is enough. Copper cents weigh about 3.1 grams, copper-plated zinc cents about 2.5 grams. All four common combinations of small or large date and copper or zinc are worth face or copper value, but one 1982-D small date copper is a major rarity.
- Look for condition only after the date. A worn key date beats a shiny common date. Only original, unworn coins with mint luster earn the uncirculated prices below.
The checklist table, sorted by date
These are approximate values for coins that have not been cleaned, damaged or corroded. "Worn" means a readable date and clear outline with normal circulation wear. "Uncirculated" means no wear on Lincoln's cheek and jaw, with original luster.
| Date and variety | What to look for | Worn | Uncirculated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any common wheat cent, 1909-1958 | Wheat stalks on the reverse | 3-10 cents | $1-5 |
| 1909 VDB (Philadelphia) | VDB on reverse bottom, no mint mark | $10-20 | $30-60 |
| 1909-S | S under the date, no VDB | $80-150 | $300+ |
| 1909-S VDB | S under the date and VDB on the reverse | $700-1,700 | $2,000-5,000+ |
| 1914-D | D under the date; check for an altered 1944-D | $150-700 | $3,000+ |
| 1922 plain | 1922 with no D, strong reverse | $400-2,500 | $10,000+ |
| 1931-S | S under the date | $80-180 | $200-400 |
| 1943 steel | Gray, sticks to a magnet | 10-50 cents | $1-5 |
| 1943 bronze | Copper color, does not stick, about 3.1 g | $100,000+ | $250,000 to over $1 million |
| 1944 steel | Gray, sticks to a magnet, about 2.7 g | $75,000+ | Six figures |
| 1955 doubled die obverse | Bold doubling on date and LIBERTY, visible without a loupe | $1,000-2,000 | $2,500-10,000+ |
| 1969-S doubled die obverse | Strong doubling on LIBERTY, motto and date | $5,000-25,000 | $25,000-100,000+ |
| 1972 doubled die obverse | Clear doubling on LIBERTY and IN GOD WE TRUST | $200-400 | $400-1,000+ |
| 1982 small date copper | 3.1 g, small date (D mint) | Face or copper value; 1982-D small date copper is five figures | Same |
| 1983 doubled die reverse | Doubled ONE CENT and E PLURIBUS UNUM | $100-200 | $200-500 |
| 1984 doubled ear | Second earlobe on Lincoln | $75-150 | $150-300+ |
| 1992 close AM | A and M nearly touching on reverse | $1,000-5,000 | Five figures possible |
| 1995 doubled die obverse | Doubling on LIBERTY, best seen with a loupe | $5-20 | $20-60 |
| 1998, 1999, 2000 wide AM | Clear gap between A and M | $10-50 (1999 higher) | $30-hundreds |
| 2009 bicentennial varieties | Listed doubled dies, satin finish copper coins from Mint sets | Face to a few dollars | $5-50+ |
The wheat era keys
The 1909-S VDB is the most famous American cent. Only 484,000 were struck before the designer's initials were removed. Many fakes are genuine 1909 VDB cents with an S glued or soldered under the date, so the shape and position of the S matter. The 1914-D has the same problem in reverse: a 1944-D with the first 4 altered into a 1. The 1922 plain cent exists because all 1922 cents came from Denver and a worn die left some without a D. Only coins from the specific die pair with a strong reverse earn the big money; weak D and partial D coins are worth much less, often $30 to $100.
The 1943 and 1944 transitional errors
In 1943 the Mint struck cents on zinc-coated steel to save copper for the war. A few leftover bronze blanks were struck by mistake. In 1944, when bronze returned, a few steel blanks were struck. Both are among the most valuable American coins. Almost every copper-colored 1943 seen in a jar is a steel cent plated as a novelty, or a 1948 with the 8 filed into a 3.
Memorial reverse doubled dies
The 1969-S doubled die is far rarer than the 1955 and was counterfeited heavily soon after it was discovered. A real one shows the same rounded, separated doubling as the 1955. The 1972 has several listed doubled dies; only the strongest, often called the 1972 DDO-001, brings the price in the table. Minor varieties from that year sell for a few dollars to tens of dollars.
1982 and the 2009 bicentennial cents
1982 is the year the cent changed from 95 percent copper to copper-plated zinc. Both metals and two date sizes exist from Philadelphia and Denver, and all of the common combinations are face value to collectors, with copper ones carrying around 2 to 3 cents of metal. Melting cents is illegal in the US, so that metal value is theoretical. The 2009 cents have four reverse designs for Lincoln's birth bicentennial. Circulated ones are worth one cent. Mint set versions were struck in the old 95 percent copper alloy with a satin finish and sell for a few dollars, and a few listed doubled die varieties from that year bring more.
Values by condition band
The table above uses two condition bands. Here is what the steps in between look like for the coins people most often find.
| Coin | Good (heavily worn) | Fine (moderate wear) | Extremely Fine to AU | Uncirculated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common wheat cent | 3-10 cents | 10-25 cents | 25 cents-$1 | $1-5 |
| 1909-S VDB | $700-1,000 | $1,100-1,700 | $1,700-2,500 | $2,000-5,000+ |
| 1914-D | $150-250 | $350-700 | $1,000-3,000 | $3,000+ |
| 1931-S | $80-120 | $130-180 | $180-250 | $200-400 |
| 1955 doubled die | Rarely this worn | $1,000-1,500 | $1,500-2,500 | $2,500-10,000+ |
| Lincoln Memorial, common | Face | Face | Face | 5-50 cents |
Uncirculated copper cents are also priced by color. Full red (RD) coins are worth the most, red-brown (RB) less, brown (BN) the least. A cleaned coin looks bright but flat and pinkish, and it loses most of its collector premium.
Common mistakes
- Treating age as value. A 1940s wheat cent is old but was made by the hundreds of millions. Date and mint mark decide value, not age.
- Calling machine doubling a doubled die. Flat, stair-step shadows next to letters come from a loose die during striking. They are very common and worth nothing extra.
- Believing a copper 1943 is copper. Nearly all are plated steel or altered dates. The magnet answers it in two seconds.
- Weighing a 1982 and stopping there. A copper 1982 is normal. Only the specific 1982-D small date copper is rare, and both the D and the small date have to be confirmed.
- Cleaning coins before showing them. Polishing removes the surface that collectors pay for. A cleaned 1909-S VDB can lose a third or more of its value.
- Mistaking damage for an error. Pennies that are a strange color, too thin, cupped, or missing part of the design were usually altered after they left the Mint. The error coins guide shows how to tell the difference.
- Quoting top auction records. Headline prices are for the finest known examples. A worn coin sells for a fraction of them.
What to photograph
A few clear photos settle almost every penny question. Use daylight from a window and no flash, and hold the phone parallel to the coin.
- The obverse straight on, with the whole coin in frame, to show type and wear.
- A close macro of the date and mint mark, sharp enough to read the shape of the digits and the letter.
- The reverse straight on, for wheat versus Memorial, VDB initials, the 1983 doubling or the AM spacing.
- A close shot of LIBERTY and the motto for any doubled die candidate, ideally with light from the side to show the separation of the letters.
- The scale reading and magnet result for every 1943, 1944 and 1982.
- An angled-light photo for any coin that might be uncirculated, so luster or cleaning shows.
With those shots, a coin can usually be placed on the checklist or ruled out quickly.
When to get it looked at in person
For a common wheat cent, a grading fee is more than the coin is worth. For the coins on this list worth $100 or more, an in-person look pays for itself, because altered dates, added mint marks and plated fakes are common and buyers pay more for a coin in a PCGS or NGC holder.
- A local coin dealer will usually look at a coin for nothing or a small charge and can tell a 1955 doubled die from machine doubling in seconds. Expect a dealer offer to be below retail.
- PCGS or NGC grade and encapsulate coins for a fee that starts in the tens of dollars per coin and rises with value and speed, plus shipping and a membership or dealer submission. Worth it for a 1909-S VDB, 1914-D, 1922 plain, 1969-S, 1992 close AM or any 1943 bronze candidate.
- Variety specialists handle doubled dies and close AM coins well. A variety attribution on the holder adds to the price.
A 1943 or 1944 transitional candidate should never be sold raw. Have it authenticated by one of the major grading services first.