1917 Wheat Penny Value: Price Chart by Grade & Mint

In 1917 the U.S. Mint struck about 284.2 million Lincoln cents for circulation: Philadelphia 196.4 million, Denver 55.1 million, San Francisco 32.6 million. That is 49% more than 1916. Among the 117 years from 1909 to 2025, 1917 ranks number 94 by total mintage (1 = most coins made), so it is one of the lower-mintage dates of the series. The scarcest 1917 issue by mintage is San Francisco (32,620,000); the most common is Philadelphia (196,429,785). Within the 1910s, 1917 ranks 3 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 rose 49% from 1916; Denver rose 53% from 1916; San Francisco rose 45% from 1916.

The mint mark, if any, sits under the date on the front of the coin. A 1917 cent with no mint mark was struck at Philadelphia and is the normal, common form for that mint. The letters you can find on 1917 circulation cents are D (Denver) and S (San Francisco).

• 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.

PCGS Price Guide values for 1917 cents (updated September 24, 2026, U.S. dollars, for coins certified by PCGS):

• 1917: $1–$6 in circulated grades (G4 to XF40); $125 in MS63 RD and $525 in MS65 RD.
• 1917-D: $2–$38 in circulated grades (G4 to XF40); $375 in MS63 RD and $3,000 in MS65 RD.
• 1917-S: $2–$22 in circulated grades (G4 to XF40); $600 in MS63 RD and $14,000 in MS65 RD.

The 1917 coins that bring real money are the varieties and errors:

• 1917 Doubled Die Obverse (RD): $9,000 in MS63 up to $92,500 in MS67.

San Francisco is the lowest-mintage 1917 issue (32,620,000 struck), so it is the mint collectors check first. Guide prices assume a certified coin; an uncertified, worn 1917 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.