Among the most sought-after coins by investors and collectors are pennies. These coins, which were first produced in 1909, have wheat stalks on the reverse and Abraham Lincoln on the front. While some wheat pennies have sold for hundreds or even millions of dollars, others are worth just a few cents.
We’ll look at the most expensive wheat pennies, their scarcity, and what makes them unique in this guide. See if your coin collection contains a fortune by reading on!
What Year of Wheat Pennies Are Valuable?
While some years and mint mistakes can make wheat pennies extremely uncommon and costly, not all of them are desirable. The following are a few of the wheat penny’s most valued years:
Key Dates & Values:
- One of the most well-known and costly wheat pennies, the 1909-S VDB is valued at over $100,000 in excellent condition.
- 1914-D: Depending on condition, this uncommon date might be worth anywhere from $5,000 to $150,000.
- 1922 No D: Some 1922 pennies were minted without the “D” mint mark due to a minting mistake, which increased their value to up to $75,000.
- Only 866,000 1931-S coins were produced, making them extremely valuable and frequently fetching prices between $100 to $85,000.
- 1943 Copper Penny: These coins, which were struck in copper rather than steel, have sold for more than $1 million.
You may be sitting on a little fortune if you discover any of these wheat pennies in your collection!
Is a 1974 Penny Worth $2 Million?
A 1974 aluminum cent has reportedly been valued at $2 million. Although several experimental aluminum pennies were produced by the U.S. Mint in 1974, the most of them were destroyed. Some could have survived, which would make them extremely valuable.
Why Is It Worth So Much?
- The design was experimental and never put into use.
- Surviving specimens are exceptionally uncommon since the U.S. Mint ordered them to be melted down.
- Because they are so few known to exist, collectors are prepared to shell out enormous sums of money for one.
If you think you have a 1974 aluminum penny, consult a professional coin grader—it could be worth a fortune!
Is a 1964 Penny Worth $10,000?
The majority of 1964 pennies are common and have little intrinsic value. On the other hand, certain 1964 rare mistake coins may fetch hundreds of dollars.
Valuable 1964 Penny Varieties:
- Double Die Errors: Some 1964 pennies have the date or writing doubled, which increases their value from $100 to $10,000.
- Off-Center Strikes: Depending on how bad the mistake was, a penny that was struck off-center may be valued anywhere from $50 to $5,000.
- 1964 Penny SMS Only a few number of these unique, uncirculated test coins are known to exist. They sold for more than $10,000!
Take a hard look at your 1964 pennies; you may have a valuable mistake coin!
What Are the Hardest Wheat Pennies to Find?
Due to unusual errors or low mintage numbers, certain wheat pennies are quite hard to locate. The following are a few of the most difficult wheat pennies to locate:
Top 5 Hardest-to-Find Wheat Pennies:
- 1909-S VDB – One of the rarest Lincoln wheat pennies.
- 1914-D – Low mintage, making it highly sought after.
- 1922 No D – A mint error that resulted in missing the Denver mint mark.
- 1931-S – Scarce due to low production numbers.
- 1943 Copper Penny – Mistakenly made from copper instead of steel, making it extremely rare.
Finding one of these wheat pennies could mean a huge payday!
Why Is a 1982 Penny Worth So Much?
Some unique 1982 pennies are quite valuable, but not all of them are. The composition of pennies was altered by the U.S. Mint in 1982 from 95% copper to 97.5% zinc. During this transfer, a few uncommon transition problems happened, which made some 1982 pennies valuable.
Valuable 1982 Penny Varieties:
- One of the rarest mistake coins, the 1982-D Small Date Copper Penny is valued at over $10,000.
- 1982 Big Date vs. Small Date: The value of copper pennies varies with text size, with small-date coins having the highest value.
- 1982 Transitional Errors: A few coins worth thousands of dollars were struck with the incorrect metal composition.
Weigh it to see whether you have a valuable 1982 cent! The weight of a zinc penny is 2.5 grams, but that of a copper penny is 3.11 grams.
Some wheat pennies are worth hundreds or even millions of dollars, making them one of the most interesting coins to collect. If you come across one of the rare pennies included in this book, you might want to get it evaluated by a specialist.