Many times a penny has only one cent worth, but in some cases, the penny has the most value, it’s worth can be thousands or even millions of dollars. Here we listed the 10 most valuable pennies ever minted in the United States of America. The values of coins are not based on common errors, but these are issued into circulation as is.
This most valuable pennies list is dynamic and based upon the few thousand. So United States coins are seen in our ever-growing database.
Our database presently includes coins from the 1860s to 2024 since we wanted to focus on coins that were easily accessible and might still be in use. This article intends to help coin hunters and collectors find rare and valuable coins. You’ll save a ton of time using this page, which is the result of hundreds or even thousands of hours of thorough coin analysis and research.
Although high-value pennies are generally uncommon, many strange factors could make them rare and valuable objects. Every penny on this list has a special quality. The value of their stories is almost equal to that of the pennies.
List of Top 10 Most Valuable Pennies
1. 1864 Indian Head Penny-“L” Certified by PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service)
Worth: $161,000.
Sold: October 2011; Signature Auction, Ribbon Heritage Auctions, Pittsburgh, PA
The American economy was in poor condition in 1864, and the Civil War was still running. As a way to keep their wealth, many people hoarded gold, silver, and copper coins. Because of this, it was challenging for the federal government to get the metal essential to make coins.
James B. Longacre, a mint engraver, created the Indian Head cent, which originally went on sale in 1859. An “L” was added to the tail of the ribbon in the military bonnet on Lady Liberty’s head starting around halfway through the mintage of 1864 pennies. Only 5 million of these coins are thought to have been made, and very few of them have survived in uncirculated condition.
2. 1872 Indian Head Penny Certified by PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service)
Worth: $126,500
Grade: Red PCGS MS-67
Sold: August 2007; Milwaukee, WI, Heritage Auctions, ANA Auction of Signature Coins
Although they are rare, 1872 Indian Head pennies can be found easily in circulated grades at any coin show or dealer. A little over 4 million of them were made. However, few people were able to collect coins for their collections due to the period’s financial difficulties, such as the economic depression that preceded the “Panic of 1873”. Consequently, almost all of these pennies were utilized.
This coin’s amazing condition—which mixes an almost perfect coin with a crisp striking from brand-new coin dies—makes it extremely rare. It’s also been preserved in good enough condition to keep its original bright reddish-copper color.
3. 1877 Indian Head Penny Certified by PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service)
Worth: $149,500
Grade: PCGS MS-66 Red Sold: Heritage Auctions, Milwaukee, WI, ANA, Sold: August 2007 Auction of Signature Coins
Among all the Indian Head pennies that have ever been made, this one has the rarest date. The slump in the economy that started in 1873 continued fiercely into 1877. As a result, families found it difficult to make ends meet, and demand for US currency was at an all-time low. Because of this, most Americans found it hard to save even a pennies for a coin collection.
Although having a lower mintage, more 1909-S Indian Head Pennies were preserved in uncirculated form. Given the dire economic circumstances of 1877, possessing an uncirculated Indian Head Penny is extremely rare. It is even more amazing if you can find one in its original copper-red color.
4. 1909-S VDB Lincoln Penny Certified by PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service)
Worth: $117,500
Grade: PCGS MS-67 Red Signature Auction for US Coins at the National Money Show
Sold: In March 2014 at Heritage Auctions in Atlanta, Georgia, ANA;
The Lincoln cent took the place of the Indian Head penny in 1909 at the US Mint. The design was made by Victor David Brenner with the support of President Theodore Roosevelt. Brenner added his initials V.D.B. at the bottom, in between the two wheat stalks, on the reverse of the coin. Coin designers had only used their last name first initial up until the present day. It was rare for a coin’s design to include all three initials.
These pennies were made in slightly less than half a million pieces before the Treasury Department required that the initials be taken off. Coin collectors got involved with this overnight, and coin collectors today refer to this penny as the “Holy Grail” of Lincoln pennies.
5. 1914-D Lincoln Penny Certified by PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service)
Worth: $152,750
Grade: Red PCGS MS-66+
Sold: August 2017; Denver, CO, ANA Heritage Auctions, Inc. United States Coins Signed Auction
In the 1930s and 1940s, “penny boards,” which individuals used for collecting money from circulation, were widely utilized and this coin had a lot of circulation. Consequently, the 1941-D Lincoln pennies are mostly in circulating condition. Uncirculated examples in their original red mint state are highly valuable and rare.
6. 1914-S Lincoln Penny Certified by PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service)
Worth: $105,800
Grade: PCGS MS-66 Red
Sold: In August 2006; Bowers & Merena, Anne Kate Collection Part II
It is by no means rare to find a 1914-S Lincoln cent. Consider that the San Francisco Mint made about 4 million of them. This specific coin is particularly valuable due to its being over a century old, it is in perfect shape. The coin’s original bright red-orange copper color is still present, and there is no visible bag mark on its surface.
This coin was set aside by a collector in San Francisco in 1914 before it could have faded and tattered while in use if it were to survive for this long in such perfect shape. The coin’s correct place to be stored to keep its color was another thing the collector took good care of. Rare and genuinely valued coins in this condition are difficult to come by.
7. 1926-S Lincoln Penny Certified by PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service)
Worth: $149,500
Grade: Red PCGS MS-65
Sold: Heritage Auctions, Orlando, Florida, January 2006, enjoyable Auction of Signatures
This coin doesn’t have anything special about it at first glance. This coin is unique due to the combination of the date and mintmark, even though it is uncirculated and still has its original copper-red color from the day it was produced.
This coin’s low mintage is one of the factors that contribute to its significant value. The mintage of just nine other Lincoln wheat pennies is lower. Furthermore, the majority of coin collectors got their collection of coins from circulation between the 1930s and 1940s, making it easy to find a circulated sample of a 1926-S Lincoln penny. However, uncirculated 1926-S Lincoln pennies maintaining their natural copper-red hue are hard to get by.
8. 1943 Lincoln Cent on Bronze Alloy, Certified by PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service)
Worth: $1,7 million
Grade: Red PCGS MS-63
Sold: January 2010; Americana Auction, Stack’s Bowers Galleries,
This 1943 Lincoln penny was made using a bronze alloy planchet, even though it was meant to be stuck on a zinc-plated steel planchet. While some believe that mint employees intentionally struck these coins on bronze alloy planchets, it is more likely that a few leftover bronze planchets from the prior year got stuck in a tote or conveyor belt and integrated into the routine striking procedure.
Some 1943 bronze alloy pennies circulated for a while before being grabbed up by a smart coin collector who was determined to remove the valuable Lincoln cent from circulation, as most people do not check the date on every coin they receive in change. This coin’s original copper-red tint and uncirculated condition contribute to its high value.
9. 1944-D Lincoln Penny on a Zinc-Coated Steel Planchet Certified by NGC
Worth: $115, 000
Grade: NGC MS-63
Sold: In August 2007; Milwaukee, WI, Heritage Auctions, ANA Auction of Signature Coins
There is nothing special about a 1944 Lincoln penny made at the Denver, Colorado mint. Over 430 million of them were struck by the US Mint. The fact that this coin was struck on a steel planchet coated in zinc adds to its excellent value. Most of these steel planchets’ use occurred in 1943. But starting in 1944, the US Mint changed to the standard copper planchets following a flurry of complaints.
But somehow, a 1943 steel planchet had to have got into the coining procedure. Coin collectors value this amazing rarity that this error planchet created, and they are ready to pay a hefty price for adding it to their collection.
10. 1969-S Lincoln Penny–Doubled Die Obverse Certified by PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service)
Worth: $126,500
Grade: Red PCGS MS-64
Sold: Heritage Auctions, Orlando, Florida, January 2008, enjoyable Auction of Signature Coins
When this coin first came to light in 1970, Coin World published a story about it on the first page of its July 8, 1970 issue. At first, the government started grabbing these coins because they thought they were fake. Before five coins were recognized as authentic, they were taken and destroyed.
This penny has text on the front and doubles on the date. Low-level magnification clearly shows the doubling, albeit not quite as dramatically as the 1955 doubled die obverse. Although uncirculated coins are very rare, these coins in circulated form are just more valuable.
Also Read – Top 15 Most Valuable Modern Quarters
Conclusion:
Many times a penny has only one cent worth, but in some cases, the penny has the most value, it’s worth can be thousands or even millions of dollars. This article intends to help coin hunters and collectors find rare and valuable coins. You’ll save a ton of time using this article, which is the result of hundreds or even thousands of hours of thorough coin analysis and research.