Lincoln Penny Value by Year: 1909–2025 Price Chart

1911 Wheat Penny Value: Price Chart by Grade & Mint

Quick answer

1911 penny value: PCGS lists $2–$7 circulated, $550 in MS65. Mintage, mint marks and what to check.

Updated 2026-09-25 · Sources: PCGS CoinFacts, Wikipedia

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What are the key facts?

  • Year: 1911
  • Reverse design: Wheat reverse (1909-1958)
  • Composition: 95% copper, 2.5% tin, 2.5% zinc (bronze)
  • Weight: 3.11 g
  • Diameter: 19.05 mm
  • Mintage, no mint mark (Philadelphia): 101,177,787 circulation strikes, 2,411 proofs
  • Mintage, D (Denver): 12,672,000 circulation strikes
  • Mintage, S (San Francisco): 4,026,000 circulation strikes
  • Value, circulated (1911, PCGS): $2–$7
  • Value, MS65 RD (1911, PCGS): $550

How many 1911 pennies were made

In 1911 the U.S. Mint struck about 117.9 million Lincoln cents for circulation: Philadelphia 101.2 million, Denver 12.7 million, San Francisco 4.0 million. That is 23% fewer than 1910. Among the 117 years from 1909 to 2025, 1911 ranks number 105 by total mintage (1 = most coins made), so it is one of the lower-mintage dates of the series. The scarcest 1911 issue by mintage is San Francisco (4,026,000); the most common is Philadelphia (101,177,787). Within the 1910s, 1911 ranks 6 of 10 years for mintage; the decade's high was 1919 (588.9 million) and its low was 1915 (56.0 million). Mint by mint: Philadelphia fell 31% from 1910; Denver did not strike circulation cents in 1910; San Francisco fell 33% from 1910. Proof cents for collectors: 2,411 from Philadelphia.

Mint marks on a 1911 penny

The mint mark, if any, sits under the date on the front of the coin. A 1911 cent with no mint mark was struck at Philadelphia and is the normal, common form for that mint. The letters you can find on 1911 circulation cents are D (Denver) and S (San Francisco). Proof cents for 1911 were struck at Philadelphia with no mint mark; they have mirror-like fields and came from collector sets, not from circulation.

What to check on a 1911 penny

  • From 1909 through mid-1918 the designer's initials do not appear on the obverse. If a coin dated in this range shows tiny V.D.B. letters at the cut-off of Lincoln's shoulder, it is not an original strike from that year.
  • Wheat cents were struck in bronze (3.11 g) except for 1943. Genuine coins show a plain edge and a slightly lighter, more reddish colour than modern zinc cents when uncirculated; a brown, evenly worn coin is the normal state for this era and is not damage.
  • Before anything else, confirm the date and mint mark are fully readable and that the surfaces have not been cleaned; the dates and mint marks guide shows what cleaning and machine doubling look like.

How much is a 1911 penny worth?

PCGS Price Guide values for 1911 cents (updated September 24, 2026, U.S. dollars, for coins certified by PCGS):

  • 1911: $2–$7 in circulated grades (G4 to XF40); $110 in MS63 RD and $550 in MS65 RD.
  • 1911-D: $7–$55 in circulated grades (G4 to XF40); $300 in MS63 RD and $1,050 in MS65 RD.
  • 1911-S: $32–$90 in circulated grades (G4 to XF40); $550 in MS63 RD and $2,750 in MS65 RD.

San Francisco is the lowest-mintage 1911 issue (4,026,000 struck), so it is the mint collectors check first. Guide prices assume a certified coin; an uncertified, worn 1911 cent usually sells for less than the lowest figure above, often a few cents in bulk wheat-cent lots. RD means full original red copper, RB red-brown, BN brown; the color grade can multiply the price. How grade and variety turn into a number is explained in what makes a coin valuable.

FAQ

Is a 1911 penny with no mint mark rare?

No. A 1911 cent without a mint mark is the normal Philadelphia strike, and 101,177,787 were made.

What does the D on a 1911 penny mean?

D means the coin was struck at the Denver Mint. Denver made 12,672,000 cents in 1911, a normal share of the year's output.

Is a 1911-S penny valuable?

S means San Francisco, which struck 4,026,000 circulation cents in 1911, the lowest mintage of the year, so it is the issue collectors look for first. Value still depends on grade and on whether the coin is a recognised variety.

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Sources

  • PCGS CoinFactswww.pcgs.com/prices/detail/lincoln-cent-wheat-reverse/46/most-active
  • Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_cent_mintage_figures
  • Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_cent

Compiled by the CoinLens editorial team

Every fact on this page is taken from the sources listed above; numbers and prices are copied from the source, and prices name the guide or auction and its date. Research and drafting were assisted by AI, and each claim was then checked against the cited sources. Checked 2026-09-25. We do not buy, sell or grade items; the app identifies what you photograph and points you to these references.

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