Wheat penny value by year (1909–1958): key dates and prices
Wheat penny values from 1909 to 1958: what common dates are worth, the key dates and semi-keys to pull, the 1955 doubled die and the 1943 and 1944 error cents.
Wheat penny value by year (1909–1958): key dates and prices value chart
| Coin | Circulated | Uncirculated | Top grades / record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common dates 1934–1958, worn | $0.02 – $0.10 | — | The bulk of every jar; typically 2 or 3 cents |
| Key dates (1909-S VDB, 1914-D, 1922 no D, 1931-S) | $65 – $600+ | $100 – $10,500+ | See the rare pennies list |
| 1955 doubled die obverse | $1,000+ | $2,000+ | Doubling visible without a loupe |
| 1943 copper and 1944 steel errors | $75,000+ | $115,000+ | Records: $408,000 (1944-S steel, 2021); $1.7M (1943-D copper, private sale, 2010) |
Source: Gainesville Coins Lincoln wheat penny guide (updated 6 Jun 2025), 10 Most Valuable Pennies (updated 10 Apr 2026) and 1944 guide (updated 5 Jun 2025); record sales from CoinWeek and CoinNews. Values checked on 2026-10-29. Values are reference ranges for typical examples, from published price guides and recent sales, and are not an offer to buy. Rare varieties and high grades need authentication before you trust a price.
How to check yours
- Find the mint mark under the date: apart from the 1909 VDB and the 1922 no D, every key and semi-key date is an S or D coin from 1909 to 1931.
- Pull every 1943 and 1944 for the magnet test, and every 1955 for doubling in LIBERTY and the date.
- Judge the colour of uncirculated coins: full original red is worth more than brown.
- Do not clean anything. A cleaned wheat cent loses most of its collector value.
- Photograph the keepers. The coin identifier reads the date and mint mark; anything that could be a key date, doubled die or error goes to PCGS or NGC before you sell it.
The Lincoln wheat cent ran for fifty years, so “wheat penny value” is really two questions: what are the common ones worth, and which few dates are the exception. This guide answers both, with a decade-by-decade map of where the money is. Individual year pages are being added; the ones that exist are linked.
Values checked on 29 October 2026 against the sources named under the chart.
- 1909–1958years struck
- 3mints: Philadelphia, Denver (D), San Francisco (S)
- 4key dates worth $65 to $600+ worn
- 2–10¢value of a typical worn common date
Where the value sits, decade by decade
| Years | What to expect | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| 1909 | VDB initials on the reverse; the 1909-S VDB is the king | 1909-S VDB ($600+ worn), 1909-S, 1909 VDB |
| 1910–1919 | Semi-key San Francisco coins and the key 1914-D | 1914-D ($150+ worn), 1910-S to 1915-S |
| 1920–1929 | No Philadelphia cents in 1922 | 1922 no D ($500+ worn), 1922-D, 1924-D, 1926-S |
| 1930–1933 | The last key date of the series | 1931-S ($65+ worn) |
| 1934–1942 | Common; most worth 2 or 3 cents worn | Uncirculated red coins |
| 1943 | Steel cents, one year only | Copper error; 1943-D/D (1943 page) |
| 1944–1946 | Shell-case brass, huge mintages | 1944 steel error; 1944-D/S (1944 page) |
| 1947–1954 | Common | Uncirculated red coins |
| 1955 | Doubled die obverse | $1,000+ even worn |
| 1956–1958 | Last wheat years, very common | Uncirculated red coins |
The three things that set a wheat penny’s price
Mint mark. Apart from the 1909 VDB and the 1922 no D, every key and semi-key date on the Gainesville lists is a San Francisco or Denver coin from 1909 to 1931. Philadelphia coins carry no mint mark and are the common ones in almost every year.
Colour and wear. Dealers grade copper coins Red, Red-Brown or Brown, and full original red brings the most for the same date and grade. Worn coins are worth their date, not their colour.
Varieties and errors. The rare pennies list covers them; the ones to remember are the 1955 doubled die, the 1943 copper and 1944 steel cents, and the 1943-D/D and 1944-D/S mint marks.
What to do with a jar of wheat cents
Sort by decade (the identification guide shows where the mint mark sits), then pull the dates in the table above and every S and D coin before 1934. Since the end of circulating penny production in November 2025, more people are sorting jars like yours, and these are still the coins worth finding. Magnet the 1943s and 1944s. Put anything that looks doubled or uncirculated aside. Then photograph the candidates for the coin identifier, which reads the date and mint mark and gives an estimated value. The rest are worth keeping as a set, a few cents each.
Scan your coin with the free app
Photograph the front and back and Coin Checker tells you the coin, the mint mark, the varieties to look for and an estimated value — then saves it to your collection. Free on iPhone and Android.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a wheat penny worth?
A typical worn wheat penny from 1934 to 1958 is worth 2 to 10 cents, and most bring 2 or 3 cents, according to Gainesville Coins. The key dates are worth $65 to $600 or more even worn, the 1955 doubled die $1,000 and up, and the 1943 copper and 1944 steel errors $75,000 and up. Uncirculated coins are priced by date and colour.
What years of wheat pennies are valuable?
The key dates are the 1909-S VDB, 1909-S, 1914-D and 1931-S, with the 1922 no D variety beside them. Gainesville Coins lists the 1909 VDB, 1910-S through 1915-S, 1922-D, 1924-D and 1926-S as semi-keys. The 1955 doubled die and the 1943 copper and 1944 steel errors are worth the most.
Why are they called wheat pennies?
Because the reverse shows two stalks of wheat framing the words ONE CENT, the design used from 1909 until the Lincoln Memorial reverse replaced it in 1959. Collectors also call them wheat cents or wheaties.
Are wheat pennies made of copper?
Yes, 95% copper, except in 1943, when they were struck on zinc-coated steel. The 1909–1942 and 1947–1958 coins are bronze with tin and zinc; the 1944–1946 coins are brass, 95% copper and 5% zinc, partly from recycled shell casings. Melting US cents is prohibited, so their value is as coins.
Should I keep wheat pennies?
Keep them: most are worth two to ten times face value, and sorting them by date and mint mark is how key dates and varieties are found. Sell only the key dates and errors, through a dealer or after grading.