Shield Pennies were minted from 2010 to the present year. Each penny weighs 2.5 grams. Most of these coins aren't valuable and they are only worth a premium in uncirculated condition.
In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt chose portraitist and sculptor Victor David Brenner to design the penny, probably because he admired Brenner's previous works of art. Lincoln faced right in the photo, so he faces right on the plaque and faces right on the penny.
The average circulated 1982 penny is worth 2 cents or less — so most people don't think of these old pennies as having much value. If you're diligent, you might find a 1982-D Small Date copper penny or another valuable error coin like it.
25 Most Valuable US Pennies
- 1.) 1944 Steel Wheat Penny - Worth $110,334.
- 2.) 1943 Copper Wheat Penny - Worth $85,782.
- 3.) 1856 Flying Eagle Penny - Worth $25,000.
- 4.) 1873 Indian Head Penny - Worth $10,000.
- 5.) 1858 Flying Eagle Penny - Worth $10,000.
- 6.) 1857 Flying Eagle Penny - Worth $7,000.
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Most wheat cents (wheat pennies were minted between 1909 and 1956) are worth about 4 to 5 cents. Those in better condition can have double-digit value. Special examples (especially those in near perfect condition) can be worth much more. Indian Head pennies from 1859 to 1879 are generally worth more than $10.
The front (obverse) of the penny pictures a right-facing profile of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States of America. The back reads, "UNITED STATES oF AMERICA," "ONE CENT," and "E PLURIBUS UNUM" (which means, "Out of many, one").
In 1943, copper was needed for war materials, so pennies were made out of zinc-coated steel. Because the color was silvery, it was easy to mistake a penny for a dime. Fortunately, pennies were only made that way for one year.
The Copper and Zinc in a Penny
4 It contains about 2.95 grams of copper, and there are 453.59 grams in a pound. 5 The price of copper on Dec. 10, 2019, was $2.75 a pound. 6 That meant the copper in each penny was worth about 1.7 cents.The first U.S. penny is 223 years old, and is also worth a lot more than one cent. It sold for nearly $1.2 million Thursday night at an auction in Baltimore.
Pricing the 1793 Flowing Hair Large Cent
| DATE | GOOD | UNCIRCULATED |
|---|
| 1793 Flowing Hair | $8,000 | $125,000 |
| 1793 Liberty Cap | $6,000 | $170,000 |
| Source: Red Book |
The “Union Shield†theme is the current design of the U.S. one-cent coin. The U.S. Mint first issued this design in 2010. The obverse (heads) shows the image of President Abraham Lincoln used on the penny since 1909.
Nickel's name comes from the Saxon term 'Kupfernickel' or Devils' Copper. They called it Kupfernickel or Devils' Copper because they couldn't recover copper from it. Coins in the USA first used nickel alloyed with copper in 1857.
The U.S. Mint makes the nation's circulating coins, as well as bullion and numismatic (collector) coins. The Mint's four production facilities in Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco, and West Point use a variety of machines and processes.
The value of each coin is:A penny is worth 1 cent. A nickel is worth 5 cents. A dime is worth 10 cents. A quarter is worth 25 cents.
Composed of 75% copper and 25% nickel, the piece has been issued since 1866. Its diameter is 0.835 inches (21.21 mm) and its thickness is 0.077 inches (1.95 mm). Due to inflation, the purchasing power of the nickel continues to drop, and currently the coin represents less than 1% of the federal hourly minimum wage.
Today, the amount of copper in an old penny is worth a little more than 2 cents. However, zinc pennies made since 1982 are presently worth only face value.
After the war ended, the Mint began to produce copper pennies again. However, in 1943, the Mint produced a few copper pennies. One possible reason for this is because the copper plates were accidentally left in a few machines. While the 1943 steel pennies are worth a few bucks, the rare copper version is worth more.
Most 2020 pennies in circulated condition are only worth their face value of $0.01. These coins can only sell for a premium in uncirculated condition. The 2020 penny with no mint mark and the 2020 D penny are each worth around $0.30 in uncirculated condition with an MS 65 grade.
Most 1983 pennies you'll find in pocket change are worth only face value — or 1 cent. That's because 1983 pennies are, for the most part, common coins and they contain very little copper. 1983-D (Denver) penny — 6,467,199,428 (6.467 billion) minted — 10 cents to 25+ cents.
CoinTrackers.com has estimated the 2000 D Lincoln Penny value at an average of 1 cent, one in certified mint state (MS+) could be worth $1. So when we say average, we mean in a similar condition to other coins issued in 2000, and mint state meaning it is certified MS+ by one of the top coin grading companies.
Penny Costs 1.76 Cents to Make in 2020, Nickel Costs 7.42 Cents; US Mint Realizes $549.9M in Seigniorage. In FY 2020, the toll to make, administer and distribute the 1-cent coin retreated to 1.76 cents from 1.99 cents while the cost for the 5-cent coin eased to 7.42 cents from 7.62 cents.
Why Do Pennies Still Exist? Pennies have almost no purchasing power; it costs more to mint a penny than a penny is worth; and the U.S. Mint could cut its workload significantly just by ceasing production.
What all of this means is that 1980 pennies with no mintmark are worth around 2 to 3 cents. Most uncirculated 1980 pennies are worth 10 to 30 cents apiece. The most valuable 1980 penny with no mintmark sold for $2,232.50 in a 2017 auction.
CoinTrackers.com has estimated the 1999 D Lincoln Penny value at an average of 1 cent, one in certified mint state (MS+) could be worth $1.
Mint will officially phase out penny production in late 2022, and it'll complete its last batch of penny production on April 1, 2023. But the U.S. Mint won't let the penny fizzle, though. Instead, it'll send off the coin with 50,000 proof sets that it'll auction off to collectors.
Most 2021 pennies in circulated condition are only worth their face value of $0.01. These coins can only sell for a premium in uncirculated condition. The 2021 penny with no mint mark and the 2021 D penny are each worth around $0.30 in uncirculated condition with an MS 65 grade.
So for the past 30 years, pennies have been made with an alloy comprised of 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper, but pennies minted before 1982 are 95% copper and 5% zinc. The price of copper has more than quadrupled over the past 10 years.
The U.S. Mint will officially phase out penny production in late 2022, and it'll complete its last batch of penny production on April 1, 2023. But the U.S. Mint won't let the penny fizzle, though.
If your Lincoln Memorial penny has a date before 1982, it is made of 95% copper. If the date is 1983 or later, it is made of 97.5% zinc and plated with a thin copper coating. For pennies dated 1982, when both copper and zinc cents were made, and best way to determine their composition is to weigh them.
The U.S. Mint announced in early April that it will stop producing pennies beginning in 2022 and will make its last batch on April 1, 2023. And it's arguably the biggest coin news since 1857 when Congress discontinued the half cent, which believe it or not, people weren't thrilled about at the time.
The person on the obverse (heads) of the nickel is Thomas Jefferson, our 3rd president. He's been on the nickel since 1938, although the current portrait dates to 2006. The building on the reverse (tails) is called “Monticello.†Monticello was Jefferson's home in Virginia, which he designed himself.
The Indian Head Cent remained in use for half a century before giving way to the Lincoln cent in 1909. All issues were minted at the Philadelphia Mint, except for the last two years when the San Francisco Branch Mint struck India Head Pennies in 1908 and 1909.
