Pennies
Pennies are about the cheapest coin for beginners to search through. A $100 investment will give you 10,000 pennies to hunt through. Some pennies are worth millions of dollars. The record for a penny sold at auction is the 1943-D Lincoln penny. It was stamped from a bronze planchet and in uncirculated condition, but this gives you an idea how valuable a penny could be. Several pennies have sold for six figures. I plan to make several videos covering all types of pennies, but I want to focus on pennies that are actually likely to be found. Here is a list of some I plan to hunt for.
1908 (S) Penny
This coin in good condition is worth about $90. If you find one in uncirculated condition, it is worth approximately $400.
1909 (S) Penny
This interesting penny was designed by Victor D. Brenner. He branded some pennies with his initials V.D.B. This coin was designed to commemorate what would have been Abraham Lincoln’s 100 Birthday. One of these coins in perfect condition could fetch you upwards of $8,500.
1910 (S) Penny
1911 Penny
The 1911 Penny has three dif50ferent mint marks. The different mint marks can change this coin from less than a dollar up to $500.
1912 Penny
The 1912, 1913, 1914, and 1915 years in PF-63 are all worth about $500. Both the (D) and (S) mintmarks are worth $7-16 for G-4 condition coins. MS-63 pennies will get you upwards of $275.
1913 Penny
The 1913 (no mintmark) penny in PF-63 condition will get you $500. Only 2,983 proof matte pennies were produced. A G-4 condition, no mintmark 1913 penny is worth about .85 cents and $70 for a MS-63. The (D) and (S) mintmark average $3-$10 for a G-4 and upwards of $275 for MS-63. These should be easier to find since more than 21 million were minted.
1914 Penny
This penny is similar to the 1915 penny. A matte proof in PF-63 condition 1914 penny will get you about $500 at auction. Apparently there were only 1,365 produced. A penny in general condition of G-4 will get you .85 cents for one with no mintmark. A (D) mintmark however will get you $145 for a G-4 condition penny and $3,000 for a MS-63. A (S) mintmark G-4 will get you $17 and a MS-63 will yield $460 on average.
1915 Penny
A 1915 proof penny in matte in PF-63 condition will give you about $500 at auction. A used condition, circulated 1915 penny will get you about $1.75 and one in MS-63 condition will get you anywhere from $105-$120.
1917 Penny
1917 Pennies without the error I’m about to mention are worth .35 cents up to $175 for MS-63 coins. If you find one of the more rare 1917 pennies with a double die stamp on penny with no mintmark, it could be worth anywhere from $150 and as high as $6,000 for an MS-63 coin. The double die strike happened on the obverse side of the penny.
1922 Penny
Finding a 1922 penny in your hunt for coins is a great penny to find. In average condition, it’s worth at about $20. In MS-63 quality, it is worth upwards of $16,000. That’s a huge find! The most expensive mintmark is a missing (D). It’s not that the D wasn’t being stamped, but because the die was so warn that the D didn’t appear on some coins. It’s also why the weak D is the second most valuable version. A weak D mintmark can be worth as much as $1000 in MS-63 condition.
1924 Penny
Three 1924 mintmarks were on the 1924 penny. Of all three, the (D) mintmark is the most valuable. That’s likely due to the fact that the denver mint only produced 2,520,000 pennies compared to over 24 million for the no mintmark version and over 11 million for the (S). A 1924 penny from any mint is worth at least .20 cents and a (D) in MS-63 is worth an average of $450.
1931 Penny
It appears that in 1931 most coinage being minted was gold coins. This led to low volumes of 1931 pennies being produced. Most 1931 wheat pennies have some value, but the (S) mintmark in uncirculated condition carries the highest value at $195 for a coin in MS-63 condition. As a general rule, average 1931 pennies sell for about .50 cents on the low end. This creates a good spread in value with a couple hundred dollars being made for those higher end pennies.
1933 Penny
I can’t find much information on why this coin is considered valuable, but if you find a 1933 penny in average condition, it’s worth about $2. If you find one in excellent condition, it’s worth as much as $35. Considering the US government printed over 20 million combined (no mint mark and the D), there’s good chance you could find one on your hunt for coins!
1936 Penny
A double die strike happened on the obverse side of the 1936 Penny with no mint mark. This happens when a die with the design of that years coin is striked twice. It creates a slight offset copy that is sought after by collectors. This penny with this error can make you a nice profit. It ranges from $75 for a lower quality coin up to $1500 for one that hasn’t be circulated.
1944 Penny
This coin has the same issue as the 1946 S over D penny, but the other way around. This coin has some variants that have a D over S mint mark. If you find the 1944 Penny with a D over S, you’ve found the more expensive version of this error. It is worth $100 for a lower quality penny and upwards of $700 for one in uncirculated condition.
1946 Penny
One unique error is an S over D mint mark. This is because the mint mark is designated by with Mint Branch created the coin. The S mint mark is designated for San Francisco. The D is designated for Denver. Having an S stamped over a D creates a few interesting questions. If you find this 1946 Penny with the S stamped over the D, you’ll have a penny worth anywhere from $35 to $400.
1955 Penny
Double die strikes are fairly common, but few are as obvious as the 1955 penny. If you find a penny of this year, with the double die strike, and it’s in good condition, you’ll get anywhere from $700 to $2500. If you find one in uncirculated condition, it could be worth more than $16,000.
1956 Penny
Some pennies from 1956 have been discovered with a “shadow D” under the stamped D. If you find this coin and the Shadow D is visible, you should get between $10 and $35 dollars.
1972 Penny
Here’s another penny with a double die stamping. This time on the obverse side (head side). If you find this coin, certified and in MS-65 condition, you could get up to $600.
1983 Penny
Some coins were double die – reverse (Stamped twice on the “tail” side) and if you find one from 1983, you could get upwards of $375. A normal 1983 Peny with the (S) could get you a few bucks as well.
1984 Penny
The main thing you’re looking for with the 1984 penny is a “double ear”. This coin could fetch $225 if certified and in MS-65 condition.
1992 Penny
This is a golden penny… not really, but if you find the 1992 with a close AM, it’s worth $10,000. That actually makes this penny worth more than gold! The (D) mint mark with a close AM will also get you about $7,500.
2000 Penny
This year coin was mostly striked with a close AM in the AMERICA, but some were striked with a wide space between the A and M. These coins in MS-65 condition are worth about $20. The (S) coin in PF-65 condition goes for $4.
2009 Penny
The 2009 Penny was issued with four themes to recognize Abraham Lincoln’s bicentennial of his birth and the 100th anniversary of the penny first featuring his image. These four themes cover four major aspects of Lincoln’s life. In mint (MS-65) condition, these coins range in value from $.30 cents to $10.























