As example; a 1907 Indian penny is available in all grades and affordable. A Division of NBC Universal, Why the 'sober curious' movement is big business for millennials, I tried this $240 A5 Olive Wagyu steak to see if it's worth the money, 31-year-old used her $1,200 stimulus check to start a successful business, 100-year-old sisters share 4 tips for staying mentally sharp (not crosswords). This penny was minted in Philadelphia, and letters on both side of the coin make it one of the rarest pennies you can find today. So What Pennies Are Worth Money? Nearly all of the 1943 Lincoln Wheat Cent produced are steel cents, but there were some that used copper planchets in addition to the steel. Finally, demand is the factor that drives value the most. Being more common, they're also less valuable. On one side, "In God We Trust" is doubled, and "Liberty" is doubled on the other. In 1969, two men named Roy Gray and Morton Goodman began producing fake 1969 Doubled Die Lincoln cents and other counterfeit coins. A half cent with strong rims, readable lettering, and lack of deep marks; despite Liberty's portrait worn to an outline, retains value. 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. There's also some light doubling on the date. Note: Images within blue borders are Links to the Penny Values series. Older copper pennies are 95% copper and 5% something else. The wheat penny was first minted in 1909, and it was the first coin in wide circulation to feature a U.S. president. Only several dozen examples were actually found, but a lot more are thought to exist. As a result, saving even a penny for a coin collection was not an option for most Americans. However, when the die used to stamp each penny became overused, this led to a batch of coins with either a very weak "D" marking or some in which the "D" was nonexistent. Actually, 1856 Flying Eagle pennies were made as a pattern coin, and while many of them circulated, the series wasnt intended to be produced on a mass scale yet not until 1857, anyway. 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. Some pennies, originally worth a single cent, are now worth thousands of dollars. Almost every collector of United States coins began collecting the Lincoln penny. "Several prototypes for the cent were produced in 1792, including the large Birch cent.". Whats the big deal about the copper pennies? From half cents, large cents, Indian pennies, and Lincoln cents all have unique examples of value added by special qualities. Only nine other Lincoln wheat pennies have a lower mintage. Of course, receiving 5 copper pennies weekly isnt a very efficient way of building a nice hoard of copper pennies. If all lines are separate and sharp the coin is showing signs of grading Extremely Fine or better. Older copper pennies are 95% copper and 5% something else. To lower costs, the United States Mint sought to reduce the size of the penny (to its current diameter). Im the Coin Editor here at TheFunTimesGuide. PCGS offers a coin price guide where you can search for the current value of collectible coins. Bottom line: OK, we'll admit it. Date further identifies your coin and combined with availability, establish value. Most of these coins were discovered in bank wrapped rolls in the Tucson and San Antonio areas. To be precise: Copper pennies made up until 1962 had a 5% balance . A case for needed reform . In 2005, a collector discovered that some of these Sacagawea Cheerios Dollars had detailed veins in the eagles' tail feathers. How to Find Rare Coins Worth Money and Wanted by Collectors. Because they were minted at the height of the Great Depression, not a lot of Uncirculated 1932 examples were initially saved, making top grade 1932 Washington quarters a rarity. As a result, demand for United States coinage was at an all-time low, and families struggled to make ends meet. The most valuable 1980 penny with no mintmark sold for $2,232.50 in a 2017 auction. Small cents, by the way, are 19.1 millimeter diameter pennies that have been produced by the United States Mint since 1856. We are using our database of virtually every US coin ever produced (6,000+ coins) based on year, mint mark, major varieties, errors and their associated price values to come up with a list of the top most valuable pennies known. It looks like you're seeing double," said Bucki. This one, however, can earn you more than $1,000. 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. The doubling on the 1969-S Doubled Die Obverse is especially prominent in the words "LIBERTY" and "IN GOD WE TRUST," he said. When the right coin is available and is needed for their collection, none hesitate to pay. In addition to the doubling of wording, the date and "S" mint mark are also doubled. Roughly 250,000 of these pennies were minted, he said. Each design has high points judged to detect any smoothing and removal of luster. If you find a 1983 penny with everything doubled, the Lincoln Memorial Building included, save it for a rainy day. Sold: August 2017; Heritage Auctions, Denver, CO, ANA U.S. Additionally, it was extremely well-struck, as evidenced by the minutest details present on the coin. 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. In the United States over 70 billion pennies have been minted in the last decade alone. The most exciting thing is you can find some of these rare, valuable pennies easily because they're still in circulation. Out of all the leftover zinc-coated steel used in minting these pennies, Philadelphia produced about 30 of them. Sometimes more, sometimes fewer. So, thats why I turn to coin roll searching. It is unknown how only three examples got to leave the United States Mint facility in Philadelphia, but because all of them are in Mint State Red condition, it is speculation that they may have been smuggled out of the mint by an unscrupulous mint employee. How to Video: | Grading Indian Head Pennies, How to Video: | Grading Lincoln Wheat Pennies. Why are they important to many coin collectors? Condition is judged comparing to images, video and descriptions. This particular die gouge is highly visible running through the bisons back. Accurate recognition of dates also becomes important when separating variety and value. These large numbers of collectors, building collections are putting a heavy demand on the rare dates and better condition coins. Once again, the mint erroneously used a proof die to strike normal circulation coins. Similar to the other 1944 pennies mentioned here, there were only two San Francisco-minted steel pennies produced in 1944. $18,872,250. Penny values span a wide range. It is estimated that fewer than 20 were released by each of the Philadelphia and San Francisco mints. Coin values are determined by using the grading images to judge condition then checking the date and values on the charts provided. "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. Approximately 8,000 to 10,000 coins were reportedly found in Sandusky, Ohio, where they were handed out at Cedar Point Amusement Park as change. 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. Here's a rundown of 10 of the most expensive pennies made since 1900: 1. It turns out that not every penny is worth just one cent - some could actually be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. This post may contain affiliate links. Within a series, invariably certain dates are the commonly found issues. So, dont do it. Bucki estimates that 1,000 or less were made before the Mint discovered its error. Step 1 above are image links to match your coin. This one's going to be tough to find in circulation, but since it was produced after the 1950s, we had to include it. As a result, a majority of the 1941-D Lincoln pennies are in circulated condition. 1955 doubled die obverse Lincoln Wheat Penny, $1,900 Its estimated that some 24,000 Lincoln Cents from 1955 were struck with a doubled die. Selling Wheat Pennies and Receiving the Highest Price. Most Valuable Half Dollars: A List Of Silver Half Dollars, Kennedy Half Dollars & Others Worth Holding Onto! 1983 P Washington Quarter. James Bucki. Another element that identifies this rare penny is the spacing between the "FG" initials and the Lincoln Memorial Building. Professional Coin Grading Serviceoffers a coin price guide where you can search for the current value of collectible coins. A penny or cent is one-hundredth of a dollar, which means a hundred cents or pennies make a dollar. (Most pennies minted that year have very definite spaces between those letters.). 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. Leighann Bacher is a writer/editor based in Pittsburgh. The suspects made off with a chunk of the cargo - leaving 10-cent coins scattered around a Philadelphia . You never know, one of your pennies could be worth the price of a nice dinner or a whole lot more. (Collectors refer to the obverse of a coin as the front or "heads" side usually bearing a portrait.) Silver Half Dollars. Also, look for the letter "S" right below the year 1969, which means it was created at the San Francisco Mint. You can also find information about popular coins in The Red Book, A Guide Book of United States Coins 2022 75th Edition. Its just not worth it. The coppery color of modern-day pennies is merely a thin plating of copper on a 99.2% zinc, 0.8% copper core. Five coins were confiscated and destroyed before they were acknowledged as being genuine. Like the previous two pennies mentioned, the wording on both sides is doubled, plus there's a doubling of the date. Condition is also playing an increasing role. Condition is judged comparing to images, video and descriptions. The 1969-S doubled die penny is among the most valuable Lincoln Memorial pennies, which were minted from 1959 through 2008. 2004-D Wisconsin Extra Leaf Quarters have extra husks on the left side of the corn stamped onto the coin. This is a labor of love you might say, so it is resource intensive and slow. Leighann was named one of Pittsburgh Magazine's '40 Under 40 Honorees' for spearheading a social media campaign to connect people with COVID-19 vaccines and resources. The 1999 Wide AM penny is the exact opposite of the 1992 Close AM. Sold: January 2006; Heritage Auctions, Orlando, FL, FUN Signature Auction. 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. Sold: January 2008; Heritage Auctions, Orlando, FL, FUN Signature Coin Auction. It simply is a regular-issue piece that was struck in relatively low numbers. To have all three initials ona coin's design was unheard of. Some of these cents can become extremely valuable for coin collectors, like the first place on our list that reaches $100,000! This created an overnight sensation among coin collectors, and this penny has become known as the "Holy Grail" for collectors of Lincoln pennies. 1971 Kennedy Half Dollar. At a glance, these coins read In God We Rust, but you may be able to see a faint T on some coins if you look for it. Stone estimates that 15 to 20 are known to collectors today, although it's possible that there are a few that have not yet been accounted for. Because of their uniqueness, theyre remarkably valuable. The high value of this coin is due to its uncirculated condition and its original copper-red color. In the coin-making process, a working hub is a metal punch that looks like the surface of the coin. "It's especially obvious in the words 'ONE CENT' and 'E PLURIBUS UNUM.' Her greatest joy is spending time with her two kids and dabbling in her creative passions of photography, dance, and art. The Half Dollar coin had silver in it until 1970. Remember, a substantial fraction of the coins that were once minted no longer survive today, as many have been lost, melted, or damaged beyond recognition. Required fields are marked *. San Francisco is known to have only produced five of the 1943 bronze/copper pennies, making them especially rare, but some experts have been willing to note that there may be more in existence. 2. Flying Eagle pennies, a short running series range in worth and desirability depending on date and condition. Thanks! 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. 1944 Steel Cents 1944 Steel Wheat Penny struck in San Francisco Mint. 1980-D Penny Value You should definitely keep your eyes out for one of these! 1936 Dot Penny Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions Coming in at number 1 on this list of rare Canadian pennies is the renown 1936 "dot" penny. To My Young Brothers & Sisters at Reddit & Elsewhere. At Coin Values, we are always staying on top of the latest changes in coin prices, and we have a list of the top 25 most valuable pennies. By the end of the 1950s, they had become a hot coin collector item and remain so to this day. Stay up to date with everything about U.S Coins, We dont spam! Visit the series specific page, a check of the value chart shows rare dates and scarce varieties in strong demand. Valuable because they are so popular. This example is not only uncirculated, but it is extremely well preserved and shows a minimal amount of bag marks from the minting process. This one's going to be tough to find in circulation, but since it was produced after the 1950s, we had to include it. This made is difficult for the federal government to obtain the metal needed for minting coins. Lutes owned the coin until his death in 2018. Using a step by step method discovers how much your old pennies are worth. It is believed that less than 100 examples of the authentic 1969-S Doubled Die Obverse cents still exist, with only 40 examples ever certified. Condition is another; coins that stayed out of circulation may retain their original coloring and fine details, significantly adding to their value. But, of course, rarity is a significant factor in determining a penny's worth. "I know a couple of people who have found these in their pocket change.". Jaime Hernandez wrote on PCGS that one of the things making this coin so rare is the low amount of coins that were collected this year versus in 1909. As example, a 1909 penny has a total of six varieties. 1944-D Lincoln Penny on a Zinc-Coated Steel Planchet, Lincoln Wheat Penny Key Dates, Rarities and Varieties, 10 Rarest and Most Valuable Coins in the World, The 1943-S Copper Penny Found by Kenneth Wing, Lincoln Memorial Penny: Key Dates, Rarities, and Varieties, Kennedy Half Dollar Values and Prices (1964-2015), Top 10 Most Valuable U.S. This came about because in the 1990s and early 2000s, the Mint used different dies for producing coins for circulation and proof coins for collectors, explained Bucki. So far, this article has been mainly centered around looking for copper Lincoln Memorial cents which were minted from 1959 through 1982. Extremely Fine Grade: Very light wear is noticeable in the Extremely Fine grade. On the other 1944 pennies mentioned here, there were only two San Francisco-minted pennies. Love you might say, so it is estimated that fewer than were. 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