Coins

Are wheat pennies worth anything?

Most wheat pennies are worth a few cents each. Key dates, missing mint marks and errors are the exceptions, and some are worth hundreds or thousands.

What most are worth

Lincoln wheat cents were made from 1909 to 1958, billions of them. A typical worn wheat penny sells for a few cents, often as part of a bulk lot. Coins from the 1940s and 1950s are the most common.

The ones worth $100 or more

1909-S VDB. The most famous key date: an S mint mark under the date and the designer's initials VDB at the bottom of the back. Certified examples sold for about $1,300 to $2,200 on eBay in the past year, and even low grades topped $275. Fakes are very common.
1914-D. A low-mintage key date. Certified examples typically sold for about $240 to $560 on eBay in the past year.
1922 with no mint mark. All 1922 pennies were struck in Denver, but on some the D failed to print. Certified examples sold for a few hundred dollars to over $1,000 in the past year.
1955 Doubled Die. Strong doubling on the date and lettering on the front, visible without magnification. Certified examples typically sold for about $2,000 or more in the past year.
1943 copper and 1944 steel. 1943 pennies were made of steel, so a copper 1943 is a famous rarity. The reverse mistake, a steel 1944, is also rare. A magnet will stick to steel but not copper.
Other low-mintage dates. 1909-S, 1931-S and a few others are worth well over face value. Certified 1931-S cents sold for about $130 to $260 in the past year.

How to check yours

Read the date, then look under it for a mint mark: S, D, or none for Philadelphia.
On 1909 coins, check the bottom of the back for the initials VDB.
Use a magnifier to look for doubled letters and numbers.
Don't clean the coin. Cleaning cuts the value sharply.
Compare against sold prices for the same date, mint mark and grade.

Questions people ask

Are 1943 pennies worth anything?

Steel 1943 pennies are common and sell for cents to a few dollars. A genuine copper 1943 is one of the most valuable pennies, but most claimed ones are plated or altered.

Is a 1957 or 1958 wheat penny valuable?

Usually not; they were made in huge numbers. Look for errors instead.

How much is a jar of wheat pennies worth?

Mostly a few cents per coin, unless a key date is hiding in it. That's why it pays to check the dates first.

Price ranges on this page come from eBay sold listings over the past 12 months, checked October 2026. Our verdicts use real sold prices for the exact item. We don't buy or sell.

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