1922 Wheat Penny Value: Price Chart by Grade & Mint

In 1922 the U.S. Mint struck about 7.2 million Lincoln cents for circulation: Denver 7.2 million. That is 87% fewer than 1921. Among the 117 years from 1909 to 2025, 1922 ranks number 117 by total mintage (1 = most coins made), so it is one of the lower-mintage dates of the series. Only Denver struck circulation cents in 1922. Within the 1920s, 1922 ranks 10 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: Denver did not strike circulation cents in 1921.

The mint mark, if any, sits under the date on the front of the coin. The letters you can find on 1922 circulation cents are D (Denver).

• 1922 No D (Plain). The only circulation-strike coin in the entire Lincoln cent series that lacks its intended mint mark; caused by a worn/over-polished Denver die used because Denver was the sole mint striking cents that year.
• Only Denver struck cents in 1922, so every genuine 1922 cent should show a D under the date. Coins with a weak or missing D came from worn dies; the sought-after 'No D, Strong Reverse' variety is rare and heavily faked, usually by removing the D from an ordinary coin. Look for a sharp reverse paired with a missing D, and expect to need professional authentication.
• 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 1922 cents (updated September 24, 2026, U.S. dollars, for coins certified by PCGS):

• 1922-D: $26–$48 in circulated grades (G4 to XF40); $550 in MS63 RD and $4,500 in MS65 RD.

The 1922 coins that bring real money are the varieties and errors:

• 1922 No D Strong Reverse (RD): $85,000 in MS63 up to $275,000 in MS64.

The mintage figures above show how many 1922 cents each mint made; none of the 1922 issues is scarce by mintage alone. Guide prices assume a certified coin; an uncertified, worn 1922 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.