US Lincoln Cent (Wheat-backed Penny) 1909 to 1958

US Lincoln Cent (Wheat-backed Penny) 1909 to 1958

Most people think that old fashioned wheat-backed Lincoln cents (pennies) are very valuable. In fact, millions and millions of them were minted and all but a handful carry no significant value. When worn or in average circulated condition, most wheaties are worth a few cents each. Even in fully uncirculated condition, most coins do not make it over $1 or $2 in catalog value. Coins with D or S mint marks under the date are generally more valuable than coins without mint marks. Here is a more detailed breakdown:

LINCOLN WHEAT CENTS DATED AFTER 1933 (except as noted below)
worn: 20 US cents approximate catalog value
average circulated: 30 US cents
well preserved: less than $1 US dollar
fully uncirculated: $1
wheat cents between 1933 and 1942 with S mint marks catalog at about $1 in well preserved condition

LINCOLN WHEAT CENTS DATED BEFORE 1934 (except as noted below):
worn: 35 US cents approximate catalog value
average circulated: $2 US dollars
well preserved: $4
fully uncirculated: $15

NEVER CLEAN A COIN. CLEANING RUINS VALUE.

Below are the valuable dates and mint marks for circulated wheaties. If you have one of these, you have a valuable coin. If your wheatie does not appear on this list below, it is worth the values summarized above. The value after each date and mint mark gives approximate catalog value for problem-free coins in average circulated condition. Coins in better condition are worth much more. Problems include cleaning, spots, scratches, stains, and similar damage. If problems are present, the values go WAY down.

KEY DATE LINCOLN CENTS (catalog values are for average circulated condition)
1955 doubled die: $1800 see this link
1931S: $100
1924D: $60
1922: $750 (see below)
1922D: $28
1914D: $250 (pictured)
1914S: $40
1913S: $30
1912S: $40
1911S: $60
1910S: $25
1909S: $130
1909S VDB: $700 see this link
1909 VDB: $18

If you have one of rare coins in the list immediately above, congratulations. Lincoln cents are aggressively collected by thousands of people. As such, valuable dates are often counterfeited. A few jeweler's tools and a steady hand can transform a 1914 cent into a 1914D cent, multiplying its value 100s of times. Be careful for fake wheaties. Coins dated 1922 with no mint mark are called 'plain' coins and require a knowledgeable numismatist (coin expert) to evaluate. Never buy an expensive coin from someone you do not trust, even if the price seems like a tremendous bargain.

Use our Important Terminology page to convert these catalog values to actual buy and sell values. Actual values are substantially less than catalog values.

Lastly, there is a common-held misbelief that 1943 steel cents are valuable. This is not true. They, too, are worth a few cents each, like their copper cousins. It is a 1943 copper cent that is worth tens of thousands of dollars. For a picture of a steelie, check this CoinQuest link.

Coin: 715, Genre: United States, Timeline: World
Created (yyyymm): 200905, Last review: 202312
Appearance: Normal round coin Metallic brown Letters: Latin
Years: sort: 1909, filter: 1909 to 2050
Image: us_lincoln_cent_1914d.jpg

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