Lincoln Wheat Cent

1909 – 1958

The Lincoln Wheat Cent was designed by Victor David Brenner, and is well known by several different names, but is probably most often referred to as the  Wheat Penny.
In average circulated grades most Wheat Cents are valued at around $0.10 or less, but some high grade specimens can fetch in tens of thousands of dollars. For example, in 1914 less than 1.2 million cents were struck at the Denver Mint. As a result a 1914-D Lincoln Wheat Cent can sale for more than $25,000.00.
Another “key” wheat penny to look for is the 1909-S which even in poor grades is worth hundreds of dollars. This is the one which has the initials of the designer, “V.D.B.”, on the lower right side of the reverse. Less than half a million of these were struck before the initials were removed. In the same year the mint in Philadelphia struck almost 28,000,000 coins bearing the initials making the 1909 wheat cent more commonly available.

There are also a couple die errors which are valuable. The 1922 “Plain” at around $5,000 to $6,000 and the 1955 Doubled Die worth $1,000 or more.
Lincoln Wheat Cents are a good introductory to coin collecting. If lower grades are acceptable and you don’t insist on getting every mint mark you can build an impressive collection at a modest cost. But be careful as once you start collecting wheat pennies you will be apt to looking around and picking up some other nice coins. Before you know it you are a true coin collector.
In 1959 the design of the US Cent was changed in honor of the sesquicentennial of Lincoln’s birth. Frank Gasparro was called on to design the reverse to show the Lincoln Memorial.
Lincoln Wheat Cent Specifications

1909 – 1942 Bronze
Composition: 95% Copper, 5% Tin and Zinc
Diameter: 19 mm
Weight: 3.11 g
Edge: Plain
1943 Zinc-plated Steel
Composition: 100% Steel plated with Zinc
Diameter: 19 mm
Weight: 2.70 g
Edge: Plain
1944 – 1946 Shell Casing Bronze
Composition: 95% Copper 5% Zinc
Diameter: 19 mm
Weight: 2.70 g
Edge: Plain
1946 – 1958 Bronze
Composition: 95% Copper, 5% Tin and Zinc
Diameter: 19 mm
Weight: 3.11 g
Edge: Plain
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Lincoln Wheat Cent Mintage Numbers

1909 – – 72,702,618 1909 VDB – – 27,995,000 1909-S – – 1,825,000 1909-S VDB – – 484,000 1910 – – 146,801,218 1910-S – – 6,045,000 1911 – – 101,177,787 1911-D – – 12,672,000 1911-S – – 4,026,000 1912 – – 68,153,060 1912-D – – 10,411,000 1912-S – – 4,431,000 1913 – – 76,532,352 1913-D – – 15,804,000 1913-S – – 6,101,000 1914 – – 75,238,432 1914-D – – 1,193,000 1914-S – – 4,137,000 1915 – – 29,092,120 1915-D – – 22,050,000 1915-S – – 4,833,000 1916 – – 131,833,677 1916-D – – 35,956,000 1916-S – – 22,510,000 1917 – – 196,429,785 1917-D – – 55,120,000 1917-S – – 32,620,000 1918 – – 288,104,634 1918-D – – 47,830,000 1918-S – – 34,680,000 1919 – – 392,021,000 1919-D – – 57,154,000 1919-S – – 139,760,000 1920 – – 310,165,000 1920-D – – 49,280,000 1920-S – – 46,220,000 1921 – – 39,157,000 1921-S – – 15,274,000 1922-D – – 7,160,000 1923 – – 74,723,000 1923-S – – 8,700,000 1924 – – 75,178,000 1924-D – – 2,520,000 1924-S – – 11,696,000 1925 – – 139,949,000 1925-D – – 22,580,000 1925-S – – 26,380,000

1926 – – 157,088,000 1926-D – – 28,020,000 1926-S – – 4,550,000 1927 – – 144,440,000 1927-D – – 27,170,000 1927-S – – 14,276,000 1928 – – 134,116,000 1928-D – – 31,170,000 1928-S – – 17,266,000 1929 – – 185,262,000 1929-D – – 41,730,000 1929-S – – 50,148,000 1930 – – 157,415,000 1930-D – – 40,100,000 1930-S – – 24,286,000 1931 – – 19,396,000 1931-D – – 4,480,000 1931-S – – 866,000 1932 – – 9,062,000 1932-D – – 10,500,000 1933 – – 14,360,000 1933-D – – 6,200,000 1934 – – 219,080,000 1934-D – – 28,446,000 1935 – – 245,388,000 1935-D – – 47,000,000 1935-S – – 38,702,000 1936 – – 309,632,000 1936-D – – 40,620,000 1936-S – – 29,130,000 1937 – – 309,170,000 1937-D – – 50,430,000 1937-S – – 34,500,000 1938 – – 156,682,000 1938-D – – 20,010,000 1938-S – – 15,180,000 1939 – – 316,466,000 1939-D – – 15,160,000 1939-S – – 52,070,000 1940 – – 586,810,000 1940-D – – 81,390,000 1940-S – – 112,940,000 1941 – – 887,018,000 1941-D – – 128,700,000 1941-S – – 92,360,000 1942 – – 657,796,000 1942-D – – 206,698,000 1942-S – – 85,590,000

1943 (Steel Cent) – – 684,628,670 1943-D (Steel Cent) – – 217,660,000 1943-S (Steel Cent) – – 191,550,000 1944 – – 1,435,400,000 1944-D – – 430,578,000 1944-S – – 282,760,000 1945 – – 1,040,515,000 1945-D – – 266,268,000 1945-S – – 181,770,000 1946 – – 991,655,000 1946-D – – 315,690,000 1946-S – – 198,100,000 1947 – – 190,555,000 1947-D – – 194,750,000 1947-S – – 99,000,000 1948 – – 317,570,000 1948-D – – 172,637,500 1948-S – – 81,735,000 1949 – – 217,775,000 1949-D – – 153,132,500 1949-S – – 64,290,000 1950 – – 272,635,000 1950-D – – 334,950,000 1950-S – – 118,505,000 1951 – – 284,576,000 1951-D – – 625,355,000 1951-S – – 136,010,000 1952 – – 186,775,000 1952-D – – 746,130,000 1952-S – – 137,800,004 1953 – – 256,755,000 1953-D – – 700,515,000 1953-S – – 181,835,000 1954 – – 71,640,050 1954-D – – 251,552,500 1954-S – – 96,190,000 1955 – – 330,958,200 1955-D – – 563,257,500 1955-S – – 44,610,000 1956 – – 420,745,000 1956-D – – 1,098,201,100 1957 – – 282,540,000 1957-D – – 1,051,342,000 1958 – – 252,525,000 1958-D – – 800,953,300