History of the Lincoln Wheat Penny
The United States Mint first minted the Lincoln Wheat penny, or “Wheatie” as they are sometimes called, in 1909. Victor D. Brenner designed the coin under the direction of Pres. Theodore Roosevelt was on a mission to redesign our nation’s coinage. Lincoln was chosen as a subject for the penny to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his birth. Originally, Brenner’s signature appeared on the obverse of the coin. When that part of the design was rejected, he added his three initials, V.D.B., to the coin’s reverse at the bottom between the stalks of the wheat ears. This new design approach was a break from tradition where only the designer’s initial from his last name was used on the coin. Mint Engraver Charles E. Barber strongly objected to the use of three initials on the coin. As a result, the reverse dies were remade, and all the initials were removed but not before some coins were minted and released to the public. This minor release of coins resulted in the exceedingly scarce 1909-S VDB Lincoln’s penny.
The Market for Lincoln Wheat Pennies
With the four different reverses on the Lincoln cent in 2009, and the new Shield reverse starting in 2010, interest in Lincoln cents peaked for a few years. Although market prices have eased over the last few years, this renewed interest has kept values and prices pretty stable over time. Any wheat penny is worth at least 4 cents to most dealers. Given the popularity of collecting Lincoln Wheat cents, there will always be a demand for quality coins. Therefore, collect coins in the highest grade that you can afford. Be less concerned with completing your collection and pay more attention to acquiring high-grade quality coins.
Key Dates and Rarities
In any condition, the following Lincoln wheat cents are worth considerably more than common wheat pennies. These coins are frequently counterfeit or altered from common wheat pennies. Therefore, before celebrating your early retirement with your newfound fortune, have the coin authenticated by a reputable coin dealer or third-party grading service. Many collectors do not consider their coin collection complete without the Lincoln Wheat penny key dates, rarities, and varieties
1909-S VDB (small “S” below the date and “V.D.B.” on the back at the bottom between the stems of the wheat ears) 1909-S 1909-S Over Horizontal S (re-punched mintmark or RPM) 1914-D 1917 Doubled Die Obverse 1922 No “D” (missing mint mark below the date) 1931-S 1943 Bronze/copper (cents in 1943 were made out of zinc plated steel, not copper) 1943-D Bronze/copper (cents in 1943 were made out of zinc plated steel, not copper) 1943-S Bronze/copper (cents in 1943 were made out of zinc plated steel, not copper) 1944 Steel (cents in 1944 were again made out of copper/bronze, some old steel blanks got minted in 1944 by mistake) 1944-D D Over S (RPM) 1955/55 (doubled die variety)
Condition or Grade
If your coin is worn and looks similar to the one illustrated in the link below, it is considered a circulated coin. Intermediate and advanced coin collectors will learn how to grade Lincoln wheat pennies using the Sheldon scale of 1 to 70. If your coin looks similar to the one illustrated in the link below and has no evidence of wear due to being in circulation, it is considered an uncirculated coin.
Mint Marks
As illustrated in the photo in the link below, the mint mark is located on the obverse of the coin, just below the date. Lincoln wheat pennies were produced at three different mints: Philadelphia (no mint mark), Denver (D) and San Francisco (S).
Lincoln Wheat Penny Value Chart
Buy price is what you can expect to pay to a dealer when you purchase the coin, and sell value is what you can presume a coin dealer to pay you when you sell the coin. These are approximate retail prices and wholesale values. Of course, the offer you receive from a particular coin dealer will vary depending on the actual grade of the coin and several other factors that determine its worth.
