Lincoln Penny Value by Year: 1909–2025 Price Chart

1915 Wheat Penny Value: Price Chart by Grade & Mint

Quick answer

1915 penny value: PCGS lists $2–$47 circulated, $900 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: 1915
  • 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): 29,092,120 circulation strikes, 1,050 proofs
  • Mintage, D (Denver): 22,050,000 circulation strikes
  • Mintage, S (San Francisco): 4,833,000 circulation strikes
  • Value, circulated (1915, PCGS): $2–$47
  • Value, MS65 RD (1915, PCGS): $900

How many 1915 pennies were made

In 1915 the U.S. Mint struck about 56.0 million Lincoln cents for circulation: Philadelphia 29.1 million, Denver 22.1 million, San Francisco 4.8 million. That is 31% fewer than 1914. Among the 117 years from 1909 to 2025, 1915 ranks number 112 by total mintage (1 = most coins made), so it is one of the lower-mintage dates of the series. The scarcest 1915 issue by mintage is San Francisco (4,833,000); the most common is Philadelphia (29,092,120). Within the 1910s, 1915 ranks 10 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 61% from 1914; Denver rose 1748% from 1914; San Francisco rose 17% from 1914. Proof cents for collectors: 1,050 from Philadelphia.

Mint marks on a 1915 penny

The mint mark, if any, sits under the date on the front of the coin. A 1915 cent with no mint mark was struck at Philadelphia and is the normal, common form for that mint. The letters you can find on 1915 circulation cents are D (Denver) and S (San Francisco). Proof cents for 1915 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 1915 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.
  • Rule out cleaning (unnatural brightness, fine parallel scratches) and flat machine doubling before you call anything a variety; see how to read dates and mint marks.

How much is a 1915 penny worth?

PCGS Price Guide values for 1915 cents (updated September 24, 2026, U.S. dollars, for coins certified by PCGS):

  • 1915: $2–$47 in circulated grades (G4 to XF40); $325 in MS63 RD and $900 in MS65 RD.
  • 1915-D: $2–$30 in circulated grades (G4 to XF40); $300 in MS63 RD and $1,250 in MS65 RD.
  • 1915-S: $21–$65 in circulated grades (G4 to XF40); $1,350 in MS63 RD and $6,750 in MS65 RD.

San Francisco is the lowest-mintage 1915 issue (4,833,000 struck), so it is the mint collectors check first. Guide prices assume a certified coin; an uncertified, worn 1915 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 1915 penny with no mint mark rare?

No. A 1915 cent without a mint mark is the normal Philadelphia strike, and 29,092,120 were made.

What does the D on a 1915 penny mean?

D means the coin was struck at the Denver Mint. Denver made 22,050,000 cents in 1915, a normal share of the year's output.

Is a 1915-S penny valuable?

S means San Francisco, which struck 4,833,000 circulation cents in 1915, 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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