Lincoln Wheat Pennies: The Complete Beginner’s Guide
Lincoln Wheat pennies are one of those coins almost every collector recognizes.
Maybe you found a few in an old jar of coins. Maybe your parents or grandparents saved them. Or maybe you spotted those two wheat stalks on the back of a penny and wondered why it looked different from the Lincoln cents you see today.
Whatever brought you here, Wheat pennies are a great place to start collecting coins. They’re historic, affordable, easy to understand, and there are still plenty of interesting dates and varieties to hunt for.
Let’s walk through what you need to know.
What Is a Lincoln Wheat Penny?
The Lincoln cent was introduced in 1909, marking the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth.
The obverse features Lincoln’s portrait, designed by Victor David Brenner.
The original reverse is where the Wheat penny gets its nickname. Two wheat stalks frame the words ONE CENT and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, with E PLURIBUS UNUM across the top.
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This design remained in production from 1909 through 1958.
In 1959, the Wheat reverse was replaced by the Lincoln Memorial design.
That gives collectors nearly 50 years of Wheat cents to explore.
Where Were Wheat Pennies Made?
Lincoln Wheat cents were struck at three U.S. Mints:
Philadelphia — no mint mark
Denver — D
San Francisco — S
The mint mark, when present, is found on the obverse underneath the date.
This is important because two Wheat pennies from the same year can have very different values depending on where they were minted.
A 1914 Philadelphia cent and a 1914-D, for example, are two very different coins from a collector’s standpoint.
Are Wheat Pennies Rare?
Most aren't.
That's one of the first things a new collector should understand.
Billions of Lincoln Wheat cents were produced, particularly during the later years of the series. Many circulated examples from the 1940s and 1950s are still inexpensive.
But that's part of what makes the series fun.
You can build a collection without spending a fortune while still having some genuinely scarce coins to hunt for.
Instead of asking, “Are Wheat pennies valuable?”, a better question is:
“Which Wheat penny do I have?”
The date, mint mark, condition and variety all matter.
Wheat Penny Key Dates Beginners Should Know
There are several dates you'll quickly hear about when you start collecting Wheat cents.
1909-S VDB
This is probably the most famous Lincoln cent.
When the Lincoln cent debuted, designer Victor David Brenner's initials — V.D.B. — appeared prominently on the reverse.
After objections were raised about their size and placement, the initials were removed.
Only 484,000 1909-S VDB cents were struck, making this one of the great key dates of the Lincoln cent series.
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Because it's valuable, it's also a coin you should be especially careful about buying without authentication.
1914-D
The 1914-D is another major key date.
Its mintage was only about 1.2 million coins, and many entered circulation.
Even heavily worn examples are desirable to collectors.
1922 No D
This one's more complicated.
Lincoln cents dated 1922 were produced in Denver, yet some examples appear to have no D mint mark because of problems involving the dies.
The genuine collectible variety is known as the 1922 No D or 1922 Plain.
Don't assume you've hit the jackpot simply because the D looks weak or missing. Authentication is especially important with this variety.
1931-S
With a mintage of just 866,000, the 1931-S is another important semi-key/key date collectors look for.
Fortunately, many were saved when they were new, so finding a nice example isn't impossible.
And Then There's the 1943 Copper Cent
Few American coins have generated more excitement than the famous 1943 bronze Lincoln cent.
During World War II, copper was needed for the war effort. Most 1943 cents were therefore struck on zinc-coated steel planchets.
That's why a normal 1943 penny looks silver-gray rather than copper-colored.
A very small number of 1943 cents were accidentally struck on leftover bronze planchets.
Those genuine errors are extremely rare and valuable.
Unfortunately, there are also altered dates, copper-plated steel cents and other fakes.
If you find a copper-colored 1943 cent, don't clean it and don't assume it's genuine. That's a coin worth having professionally examined.
What About the 1955 Doubled Die?
Another famous Wheat cent is the 1955 Doubled Die Obverse.
On genuine examples, strong doubling can be seen in parts of the lettering and date.
This isn't simply a coin that moved while someone was taking a photograph or ordinary damage from circulation. It's a recognized die variety created during the die-making process.
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Because valuable varieties attract counterfeits, compare potential discoveries carefully with authenticated examples before spending serious money.
How Much Are Wheat Pennies Worth?
There isn't one price for a Wheat penny.
Common circulated Wheat cents may be worth only a modest amount above face value, while scarce dates, high-grade coins and important varieties can be worth considerably more.
Four things have the biggest influence:
Date and mint mark — Some combinations are much scarcer than others.
Condition — A sharply detailed coin can be worth substantially more than a heavily worn example.
Color — With copper coins, collectors commonly see designations such as Brown (BN), Red-Brown (RB) and Red (RD). Original red color can bring a premium, particularly in higher grades.
Variety or error — Recognized varieties such as the 1955 Doubled Die can dramatically change a coin's value.
One important tip: don't determine value from someone's asking price online.
Anyone can list a penny for $5,000.
That doesn't mean someone paid $5,000 for it.
Look at actual completed sales and reputable price information instead.
Should You Clean Wheat Pennies?
No.
This is one of the easiest ways for a beginning collector to accidentally hurt a coin.
A dark or dirty Wheat penny may look like it needs polishing. Resist the temptation.
Don't use metal polish, baking soda, vinegar, brushes or anything abrasive.
Collectors generally prefer a coin with its original surfaces—even when those surfaces show their age—to a coin that has been harshly cleaned.
Sometimes the best thing you can do for an old coin is simply leave it alone.
How Should You Store Them?
You don't need an expensive setup.
Individual coin flips, 2x2 holders, albums and other coin-safe storage products all work well.
Avoid materials containing PVC, which can damage coins over time.
And when handling a better coin, hold it by the edges rather than putting your fingers across the surfaces.
For an inexpensive circulated Wheat cent, you don't need to treat it like a museum artifact. But good habits are worth learning early.
A Simple Way to Start Collecting Wheat Pennies
Don't feel like you need to buy every date immediately.
Start with a handful of inexpensive coins.
Sort them by year.
Then separate the different mint marks.
You'll quickly start seeing what you're missing.
You might decide to collect:
One Wheat cent from every year
Every date and mint mark
One example from each decade
Only higher-grade coins
San Francisco issues
Major varieties
A simple representative set
There's no rule saying your collection has to look like anyone else's.
That's one of the best things about coin collecting.
Can You Still Find Wheat Pennies in Circulation?
Yes, although they're much less common than they once were.
Wheat cents occasionally turn up in pocket change and bank rolls. They can also be found mixed into old jars, inherited collections and accumulations that haven't been searched in years.
You're probably not going to build a complete Wheat cent collection from circulation.
But finding even a common Wheat penny in change is still fun.
And sometimes that's exactly how a new collector gets started.
What Should You Look for First?
If you inherit or discover a group of Wheat pennies, don't immediately start looking up the value of every single coin.
First, sort them.
Separate the earlier dates from the later dates. Pay attention to mint marks. Look carefully at anything from the teens and 1920s, and learn the major key dates and varieties.
Then evaluate condition.
A little organization can save you hours.
And remember: don't clean anything before you know what you have.
Why Wheat Pennies Are Still Great for Beginners
There are flashier coins. There are rarer coins. And there are certainly more expensive coins.
But Wheat pennies have something going for them that's hard to beat.
They're approachable.
You can hold a coin that's more than 100 years old without necessarily spending hundreds of dollars. You can search rolls, fill an album, hunt mint marks and learn about grading without putting a huge amount of money at risk.
And once you start noticing the differences between dates, mint marks, condition and varieties, you're learning skills that apply to virtually every other area of coin collecting.
That's why Lincoln Wheat pennies remain one of my favorite places for a beginner to start.
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