1919 Wheat Penny Value: Price Chart by Grade & Mint

In 1919 the U.S. Mint struck about 588.9 million Lincoln cents for circulation: Philadelphia 392.0 million, Denver 57.2 million, San Francisco 139.8 million. That is 59% more than 1918. Among the 117 years from 1909 to 2025, 1919 ranks number 83 by total mintage (1 = most coins made), so it is one of the lower-mintage dates of the series. The scarcest 1919 issue by mintage is Denver (57,154,000); the most common is Philadelphia (392,021,000). Within the 1910s, 1919 ranks 1 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 36% from 1918; Denver rose 19% from 1918; San Francisco rose 303% from 1918.

The mint mark, if any, sits under the date on the front of the coin. A 1919 cent with no mint mark was struck at Philadelphia and is the normal, common form for that mint. The letters you can find on 1919 circulation cents are D (Denver) and S (San Francisco).

• From 1918 onward the initials V.D.B. sit in tiny letters on the truncation of Lincoln's shoulder on the obverse. They are normal and do not add value; they are simply a way to confirm the coin's era.
• 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.
• True die doubling is rounded and separated; flat, shelf-like doubling is machine doubling and adds nothing. The mint marks guide has side-by-side examples.

PCGS Price Guide values for 1919 cents (updated September 24, 2026, U.S. dollars, for coins certified by PCGS):

• 1919: $1–$3 in circulated grades (G4 to XF40); $80 in MS63 RD and $325 in MS65 RD.
• 1919-D: $1–$24 in circulated grades (G4 to XF40); $285 in MS63 RD and $1,300 in MS65 RD.
• 1919-S: $2–$20 in circulated grades (G4 to XF40); $450 in MS63 RD and $8,500 in MS65 RD.

Denver is the lowest-mintage 1919 issue (57,154,000 struck), so it is the mint collectors check first. Guide prices assume a certified coin; an uncertified, worn 1919 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.