Older copper pennies are 95% copper and 5% something else. If you are investing money in rare pennies, buy coins that are in the best condition you can afford, and always focus on purchasing coins that display original color and are in nice shape overall. Auction record: $126,500 Heritage Auctions. Half Cent Values | All Half Cents are Rare. One time, I found about200 copper pennies among 20 rolls of pennies, or $10 worth of one-cent coins. Of all the modern Lincoln cents the Wheat Penny stands out the most. Early date Lincoln pennies and higher condition coins are on the move. "I've found one myself.". This penny is the rarest date of all the Indian Head pennies ever minted. Most Valuable Quarters: A List Of Silver Quarters & Other Rare Quarters You Should Hold Onto! The 1999 Connecticut Quarter is the fifth design released in the 50 States quarter collection. But due to a mix-up, a proof die was used for the reverse of the coin before it was supposed to be used starting in 1993. To have all three initials ona coin's design was unheard of. Others are worth their weight in gold or silver. The year 1971 was a good one for penny collectors. The wheat penny was first minted in 1909, and it was the first coin in wide circulation to feature a U.S. president. Gray asked a collector named Robert Teitelbaum to sell the illegal coins and to place 85 of them into circulation in Washington. Bottom line: The 1955 Doubled-Die Obverse (DDO) Penny is one of the most famous examples of design doubling on coinage. In fact, only 852,500 were originally minted, and only a small fraction of 1877 pennies from the original mintage remain today. Most of them pulled the coins out of circulation. Your email address will not be published. Wheat pennies begin at 2 cents to highs found with early colonial large cents valued in the thousands. It was soon learned that only the Denver Mint struck pennies in 1922, and one-cent coins without a mint mark but bearing that date were in fact mistakes. 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. Coins Signature Auction. The coppery color of modern-day pennies is merely a thin plating of copper on a 99.2% zinc, 0.8% copper core. Hereare someold copper pennies worth saving, #1 S Mint Lincoln Memorial Copper Pennies. For example, many of the doubled die entries on the list above (such as the 1971, 1972, 1983, and 1984 doubled die Lincoln cents) are much scarcer in number than the 1877 Indian Head cent or 1914-D Lincoln cent, but are not as widely collected, thus the values of those somewhat more obscure coins are lower. Visual qualities are part of value. 1. Sold: October 2011; Heritage Auctions, Pittsburgh, PA, Signature Auction. So, check your change and coin roll hunt too! 1944 Steel Lincoln Wheat Penny, $125,000 Its believed that a similar story behind the creation of the 1943 copper cent is also what led to minting of the 1944 steel penny; blank steel cent planchets from 1943 that were hiding away in the coining presses wound up getting stamped with the 1944 dies, and the result is a rarity that financially well-heeled coin collectors will pay hundreds of thousands to buy. Note that the price youre likely to get for even the rarest coins will typically be affected by the condition of the coin. In this case, the wide "AM" version is just as sought after as the close "AM" version. Older copper pennies are 95% copper and 5% something else. A case for needed reform . Im a member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) and the Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG) and have won multiple awards from the NLG for my work as a coin journalist. Thieves in Philadelphia broke into a truck filled with $750,000 (598,000) worth of dimes. But the rarest of all is this single known pristine example from the Denver mint. To be precise:Copper pennies made up until 1962had a 5% balance of tin and zinc, and from 1962 to 1982 the extra 5% of material was entirely zinc. Though theyre a fun find, these coins arent that valuable you can buy one on ebay starting at about $6. Some error coins in this collection (not just the Connecticut quarter) were either broadstruck meaning they were struck outside of the retaining collar of the coin or double or triple stamped. Beginning approximately halfway through the mintage of 1864 pennies, an "L" was added to the tail of the ribbon in the war bonnet on Lady Liberty's head. One sold at a Heritage sale in 2012 for more than $20,000, according to Coin World. So which pennies are worth money? Condition is one of the subtle steps affecting penny values. With so many rare coins out there, being a "penny pincher" might not be such a bad thing after all. You Could Find This Rare Penny In Your Pocket Change Heres What To Look For, 1968-S, 261,311,510 business strikes minted, 1960-D/D Small Date Over Large Date, $100. The 1969-S doubled die penny is among the most valuable Lincoln Memorial pennies, which were minted from 1959 through 2008. Penny values span a wide range. Source: PGCS.com The United States mint struck over 430 million of them. Subscribe to CNBC Make It on YouTube! In this case, the doubling is on the reverse of the coin. All Rights Reserved. Confirm your coin as a half cent by denomination on reverse. The Lincoln cent (technically, only Great Britain officially has a denomination called the "penny") is a favorite among collectors young and old, rich and poor. Wheat pennies begin at 2 cents to highs found with early colonial large cents valued in the thousands. However, the flat spots do not connect, separation of high areas remain. *All of the coin values listed from 1958 or earlier came from USA Coin Book, unless otherwise noted. Extremely Fine Grade: Very light wear is noticeable in the Extremely Fine grade. Are you concerned the precious metals train has left the station without you. 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. We have discounted proof coins, error coins, as well as any special strikes, to create a clean list of pennies you have a higher probability of finding from the current pool of circulating United States currency. As a collector, you eventually reach the point where you need to purchase your coins from a coin dealer or at auction to achieve the quality you want. Mintmarks are listed and valued on Indian and Lincoln value charts. Most Mercury dime dates can be obtained with little difficulty, though some are extremely rare in high grade. If you have any of the coins on this list or other coins worth money, you should always have them authenticated by a reputable coin dealer, like a member of the Professional Numismatists Guild, before trying to sell: In 1942 in an effort to save copper for ammunition in World War II the U.S. Mint began producing steel pennies for the first time in history. But the move needed Congressional approval, so the mint produced a batch of about 800 of the new pennies and presented them to the lawmakers. Most uncirculated 1980 pennies are worth 10 to 30 cents apiece. This one, however, can earn you more than $1,000. #2 Other Copper Pennies That Are Valuable. Here are 12 more valuable Lincoln pennies that you should definitely check for if you happen upon a very old penny. What sets this special penny apart from the crowd is a doubling of the date, with a smaller set of digits appearing on top of the larger set. The search is both interesting and exciting. This coin was heavily circulated and was commonly subjected to the widespread use of "penny boards" in the 1930s and 40s, which people use to collect coins from circulation. 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. As a result, most of these pennies went into circulation. Sold: January 2008; Heritage Auctions, Orlando, FL, FUN Signature Coin Auction. The 1914-S Lincoln cent is by no means a rare coin. 1969-S doubled die obverse Lincoln Memorial penny, $10,000 Doubled die coins have to be one of the most popular error coin varieties out there. This example is not only uncirculated, but it is extremely well preserved and shows a minimal amount of bag marks from the minting process. Heritage auctioned a similar one in slightly lower grade for $186,000 earlier this month," he said. Slightly less than a half-million of these pennies were minted before the Treasury Department demanded that the initials be removed. All coins in this list however are. Dealers and collectors identify the different stages of wear separating coins from the most worn to the least and each is assigned a "Grade". Without further ado, my Top 10 Rare Canadian Pennies! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); CoinTrackers.com is an invaluable resource dedicated to helping the coin collector and silver community. While Lincoln is still on the penny today, the wheat is long gone. In fact, in 2019, a 1943 bronze Lincoln cent sold at auction for $204,000, and in 2015, a Birch cent, one of America's first pennies, was bought for $2.6 million dollars. In 1856, the price of copper rose to the point that it took more than a penny's worth of copper to make a penny. Carefully examine your coins for condition. Circulated Lincoln Wheat cents with soft even toning, highlighting the remaining design, are appealing to beginning collectors. The story behind copper 1943 Lincoln Pennies is presumed to be a pure accident at the U.S. Mint perhaps a few leftover copper planchets from 1942 were stuck in the coining press system and struck with 1943 penny dies. This made is difficult for the federal government to obtain the metal needed for minting coins. However, a steel planchetleft over from 1943 must have found its way into the coining press. When the U.S. switched from bronze alloy to zinc-plated steel pennies in 1943, only a relative handful of bronze pennies slipped through. Grading is judging the surfaces and identifying the amount of wear or lack of wear. What years of pennies are worth money? The collector also ensured that the coin was correctly stored to preserve its color. It looks like you're seeing double," said Bucki. 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. If a 1999 penny has a large space between the A and the M, and it's in amazing condition, odds are good it's one of the most valuable pennies still in circulation. Most people think that the silver in U.S. coins ended in 1964, but this isn't true. 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. $46. One example circulated for a while before being picked up by a collector. Coins in this condition are few and far between and are truly treasures to behold. Like this story? As a rule, 1873 open 3 Indian cents are more common than the closed 3 variety. Sold: March 2018; Stacks Bowers; Baltimore - Session 3 - Rarities Night Including the ESM Collection. Lincoln pennies minted from 1959 to 1982 are made of 95 percent copper and have about 2.5 cents worth of copper in them. The doubling on the 1969-S Doubled Die Obverse is especially prominent in the words "LIBERTY" and "IN GOD WE TRUST," he said. The 1943 bronze Lincoln cent attracted nearly 30 bids and sold for $204,000 in January, according to Heritage Auctions, the organization that conducted the sale. While the The Coinage Act of 1873 demonetized silver, putting an end to silver dollar production, the Bland-Allison Act was passed in 1878 in response to poor economic conditions at the time. Do you have any of these coins in your penny jar? Dark colors tend to hide detail and lower eye appeal to old copper coins. On April 25, 2013, a coin owned by Walton family heirs once believed to be fake was authenticated as the real fifth coin. For the world's rarest and most coveted pennies, values are well over $100,000 and approaching $2 million. Required fields are marked *. Many citizens hoarded gold, silver, and copper coins as a store of wealth. Not because of its date of minting, but because of its die variety. Sold: March 2014; Heritage Auctions, Atlanta, GA, ANA National Money Show US Coins Signature Auction. A half cent with strong rims, readable lettering, and lack of deep marks; despite Liberty's portrait worn to an outline, retains value. This particular die gouge is highly visible running through the bisons back. As opposed to the 1955 Doubled Die Lincoln Cent, where thousands of them are known, there are only three 1958 Doubled Die Lincoln pennies known to exist. Flying Eagle pennies, a short running series range in worth and desirability depending on date and condition. Want to know what year of pennies are worth money or just what penny variety to look for? Today, these coins are all accounted for, and two are on display in museums. But there are several valuable pennies worth money, much more than just a few cents apiece. Pennies that are older typically hold more value. The most exciting thing is you can find some of these rare, valuable pennies easily because they're still in circulation. 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. Until then Philadelphia produced all cent and two cent denominations. Whether you collect Flying Eagle pennies, Indian Head pennies, or Lincoln pennies, you will find that the market for rare pennies is quite active. A short series, serving a specific demand at the time, minted 1864 to 1873. What makes this coin extremely rare is its exceptional condition that combines a nearly flawless coin with a sharp strike from a fresh set of coin dies. The high value of this coin is due to its uncirculated condition and its original copper-red color. 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