In the world of collecting coins, people love finding hidden treasures in their everyday pocket change. Some pennies can be worth a lot of money because they are rare, have a historical story, or were made with mistakes.
This guide will show you which valuable pennies to look for and how they can turn a regular coin into something valuable. Get your magnifying glass and come with us on a journey to find pennies that are worth more than just a penny.
The History Of The Penny
The penny has been around since ancient times, like the Greeks and Romans, who used small copper or bronze coins to trade things.
In the United States, the penny was one of the first coins made by the U.S. Mint in 1792. The first penny was bigger and made of only copper. Today’s penny is made of a mix of copper and zinc. Pennies made only of copper were worth more than their face value.
The first penny showed a lady with long hair representing Liberty. This design was used for more than 60 years. In 1857, the penny became smaller and was made with nickel. That year, a new design came out with an eagle flying on one side and a wreath on the other. The design with an Indian head was used from 1859 to 1909.
In 1909, Abraham Lincoln was the first president to be on a U.S. coin. The picture of Lincoln on the front of the penny was made by Victor David Brenner and is still used today. The back of the coin changed a few times between 1909 and 2008, from wheat to the Lincoln Memorial.
In 2009, the US Mint made four new designs for pennies as part of the Lincoln Bicentennial One Cent Program.
What Pennies To Look For That Are Worth Money?
1. 1872 Indian Head Penny
The 1872 Indian Head Penny is very rare because not many were made. Even though fewer 1871 Indian Head Pennies were made, the 1872 is more valuable in most conditions. There are still about 5,000 of these pennies left in all conditions.
2. 1877 Indian Head Penny
The 1877 Indian Head penny is definitely the most wanted coin in the whole series that was made for everyday use. It was made at the Philadelphia Mint.
It is the second rarest coin, with only the 1909-S Indian Head penny being rarer. Even though they’re not the rarest, fewer of them exist because fewer coins were saved in 1877 compared to 1909.
3. 1864 Indian Head Penny–”L” on Ribbon
The 1864 Indian Head Penny with an “L” on the ribbon is a well-known one-cent U.S. coin. The “L” stands for the designer’s initials, James Longacre. Indian pennies made from 1859 to 1864 didn’t have the designer’s initials. The “L” was only added at the end of 1864, making it a popular choice for coin collectors.
4. 1914-S Lincoln Penny
The 1914-S Lincoln penny was made at the San Francisco Mint with a total of 4,137,000 coins. It’s from the Lincoln Cent series that started in 1909. The penny has a picture of Lincoln on one side and two wheat ears on the other.
5. 1914-D Lincoln Penny
The 1914-D Lincoln penny is special because there weren’t many made that year, only 1,193,000. This makes it rare compared to the over 75 million pennies made in 1914 from the Denver Mint.
6. 1909-S VDB Lincoln Penny
The 1909-S VDB Lincoln Penny is very well-known and liked by many. People liked it because there was some debate about where the designer’s initials were placed on the coin. There were also not very many of these coins made, only 484,000.
7. 1944-D Lincoln Penny on a Zinc-Coated Steel Planchet
1944-D Lincoln Pennies are sometimes called steel or silver pennies because of their color. In 1944, most pennies were supposed to change from steel to copper (bronze).
These penny mistakes happened because a few leftover steel coins from 1943 were mixed in. Steel pennies were made at all three Mints, but only a few steel pennies from 1944 with a “D” mint mark are still around.
8. 1969-S Lincoln Penny–Doubled Die Obverse
The 1969-S Lincoln Penny with double printing on the front is very rare and valuable. It’s hard to find and stands out because you can see the double print on the date without using a magnifying glass. Some of these special coins have been found in circulation, and there are probably more out there.
How To Identify Pennies That Are Worth Money?
Pennies are very popular to collect, even though they are small coins with no real value. Most penny collections have some valuable copper and are loved by collectors.
This makes you think about which pennies from the 20th century are worth the most. (This only includes pennies from after a certain date and excludes certain older pennies.)
Many old Lincoln pennies from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s are only worth a few cents. Lincoln pennies from 1959 to 1981 are worth about 2 cents because of their copper content. Newer Lincoln pennies are usually only worth their face value.
But there are many valuable pennies that are worth a lot more than just a few cents. Some of these one cent coins are worth hundreds of dollars!
What Makes A Penny So Valuable?
If you collect or sell coins, you probably know that rarity is the most important factor in determining value. The fewer of a certain coin were made, the more valuable it is. Other things that can make a coin valuable are how many are still around and if it has any mistakes or is unique in some way.
Another important thing that affects value is the condition of the penny. If a penny is in really good condition, it will be worth more. Collectors might also pay more for proof versions or coins that have never been used.
When looking for valuable pennies, it’s important to consider things like their condition, how rare they are, and how much collectors want them. Finding one of these special coins in your pocket change might not happen often, but it’s still worth checking. So, next time you get some pennies, take a good look – you might find a valuable one.
