
First, The Bad News.. .
If you ’ ve come to this page hoping that Lincoln Wheat cent you ’ ve pulled out of your pocket change is going to pay off your car or help put your kids through college, you might want to be sitting down. unfortunately, the huge majority of Lincoln Wheat pennies found in circulation, inherited folder collections, or in jars of old coins are worth less than 10 cents each.
In fact, with the exceptions of major errors and varieties, no Lincoln wheat penny smitten after 1933 is worth more than 10 cents in wear condition, and most are deserving merely 2 or 3 cents. well-worn 1943 steel pennies often trade for 5 to 10 cents each in banal condition. But chances are any of the Lincoln Wheat cents you ’ ve found in pouch change are going to be worth only a modest measure over expression measure .
Now, The Good News!
While most break, common-date Lincoln Wheat pennies aren ’ metric ton worth more than 10 cents, there are many Lincoln Wheat cents that are deserving much more, and by quite a snatch. There are four major regular-issue key dates in the series and respective valuable semi-key dates, varieties, and errors, besides .
Key Date Wheat Pennies
The major Lincoln Wheat cent key dates include :
- 1909-S
- 1909-S VDB
- 1914-D
- 1931-S
important semi-key dates are :
- 1909 VDB
- 1910-S
- 1911-S
- 1912-S
- 1913-S
- 1914-S
- 1915-S
- 1922-D
- 1924-D
- 1926-S
then there are the “ better dates ” ( or “ better issues ” ) —those that may not necessarily rise to the status of being a bona fide semi-key date but are however more valuable than the common dates. These include :
- 1909
- 1911-D
- 1912
- 1912-D
- 1913-D
- 1915-D
- 1916-D
- 1916-S
- 1920-D
- 1921-S
- 1923-S
- 1925-D
- 1925-S
- 1926-D
- 1927-D
- 1927-S
- 1928-S
- 1931-D
- 1932
- 1932-D
- 1933
- 1933-D
last, there are the varieties and errors, which constitute some of the most valuable Lincoln Wheat pennies in the series. These are not inevitably required for completing a dress of Lincoln Wheat cents, yet many collectors pursue them anyhow. hera ’ s a glance at the most widely collected, most democratic errors and varieties and what they ’ re worth :
- 1909-S S Over Horizontal S
- 1917 Doubled Die
- 1922 No D
- 1922 Weak D
- 1943 Bronze
- 1943-D Doubled Mintmark
- 1944 Steel
- 1955 Doubled Die
Steel Wheat cent
What Are These Wheat Pennies Worth?
The graph below provides an approximate estimate on retail values for the Lincoln cents individually listed above. It besides provides values for the Wheat penny date ranges not specifically mentioned above. Value breakdowns are for coins in average circulated ( VG8 to VF20 ) stipulate and average uncirculated circumstance ( MS62-MS64 ) .Key Date Wheat Cents: Current Prices
Date/Issue | Avg. Circ. Value | Avg. Unc. Value |
---|---|---|
1909 VDB | $10+ | $25+ |
1909-S VDB | $700+ | $1,500+ |
1909 | $4+ | $20+ |
1909-S | $100+ | $300+ |
1909-S S Over Horizontal S | $115+ | $350+ |
1910-S | $20+ | $150+ |
1911-D | $10+ | $150+ |
1911-S | $50+ | $250+ |
1912 | $1.50+ | $50+ |
1912-D | $10+ | $250+ |
1912-S | $25+ | $300+ |
1913-D | $5+ | $250+ |
1913-S | $15+ | $250+ |
1914-D | $200+ | $2,500+ |
1914-S | $25+ | $350+ |
1915-D | $3+ | $100+ |
1915-S | $25+ | $200+ |
1916-D | $1+ | $125+ |
1917 Doubled Die | $100+ | $5,000+ |
1920-D | $1+ | $100+ |
1921-S | $2+ | $200+ |
1922-D | $25+ | $150+ |
1922-D Weak D | $35+ | $1,000+ |
1922-D No D | $500+ | $20,000+ |
1923-S | $5+ | $25+ |
1924-D | $50+ | $300+ |
1924-S | $3+ | $300+ |
1925-D | $1.50+ | $75+ |
1925-S | $1.50+ | $200+ |
1926-D | $2+ | $100+ |
1926-S | $10+ | $120+ |
1927-D | $1.50+ | $80+ |
1927-S | $2+ | $100+ |
1928-S | $1.50+ | $100+ |
1931-D | $7+ | $65+ |
1931-S | $70+ | $150+ |
1932 | $2+ | $25+ |
1932-D | $2+ | $25+ |
1933 | $2+ | $30+ |
1933-D | $4+ | $30+ |
1943 Bronze | $100,000+ | $200,000+ |
1944 Steel | $75,000+ | $125,000+ |
1955 Doubled Die | $1,000+ | $1,800+ |
Most Pre-1934 Issues NOT Above | 25¢ | $15+ |
Most Post-1933 Issues NOT Above | 5¢ | 50¢ |
*Values above are for problem-free coins with no signs of damage, including holes, major gouges, scratches, or cleanings .
Collecting Lincoln Wheat Cents
1943 Bronze penny The Lincoln penny is not precisely one of the most widely collected issues among all United States coinage, but it ’ s besides one of the most familiar coins anywhere in the populace. While the Lincoln Wheat cent is a long-obsolete coin that has been gradually disappearing from circulation over the past decades, it remains one of the foremost coin collectors begin searching for. Yet, even many of the most advance collectors stick to collecting Lincoln cents throughout their lives. A bang-up many numismatists focus on studying and collecting Lincoln Wheat cents entirely, in region because the series is so complex and lends to so many incredible finds. New discoveries are still being made among the Lincoln Wheat penny, including repunched mintmarks and other minor and major die varieties of varying significance. many collectors will build sets of Lincoln Wheat pennies using cardboard folders, deluxe albums, or museum-quality Lucite holders. then there are the collectors who seek high-grade examples encapsulated by third-party coin grading firms and use these coins to build register sets. But there is no right or wrong way to collect Lincoln pennies ! As Lincoln Wheat penny values range all over the price spectrum, the series offers something for merely about everybody regardless of their income or collecting tied. And, because of this, the Lincoln penny reign to this day as one of the most versatile, beloved coin series and rightly claims a strong follow of millions of collectors in the United States and around the earth. Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez is a diarist, editor, and blogger who has won multiple awards from the Numismatic Literary Guild. He has besides authored numerous books, including works profiling the history of the United States Mint and United States coinage. More from the author: 1943 Steel Penny : Value & Legacy
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