1921 Penny (Lincoln Cent): Mintage & What to Check

In 1921 the U.S. Mint struck about 54.4 million Lincoln cents for circulation: Philadelphia 39.2 million, San Francisco 15.3 million. That is 87% fewer than 1920. Among the 117 years from 1909 to 2025, 1921 ranks number 113 by total mintage (1 = most coins made), so it is one of the lower-mintage dates of the series. The scarcest 1921 issue by mintage is San Francisco (15,274,000); the most common is Philadelphia (39,157,000). Within the 1920s, 1921 ranks 9 of 10 years for mintage; the decade's high was 1920 (405.7 million) and its low was 1922 (7.2 million). Mint by mint: Philadelphia fell 87% from 1920; San Francisco fell 67% from 1920.

The mint mark, if any, sits under the date on the front of the coin. A 1921 cent with no mint mark was struck at Philadelphia and is the normal, common form for that mint. The letters you can find on 1921 circulation cents are 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.
• For any 1921 cent, check three things before anything else: that the date and mint mark are fully readable, that the surfaces have not been cleaned (unnatural brightness, fine parallel scratches), and whether any doubling on the lettering is true die doubling (rounded, separated) rather than flat machine doubling.

What a 1921 cent is worth depends on three things in this order: the variety (a recognised doubled die or transitional error is worth far more than a normal coin), the mint (San Francisco is the lowest-mintage 1921 issue), and the grade (an uncirculated coin with original red colour is a different market from a worn brown one). A normal, circulated 1921 cent from the most common mint is an available coin; published price guides from grading services list values by grade and variety, and they change over time. This page does not give prices. To get a reference range for the exact coin in your hand, photograph both sides in even light and let the app read the date, mint mark and visible varieties first.