1929 Wheat Penny Value: Price Chart by Grade & Mint

In 1929 the U.S. Mint struck about 277.1 million Lincoln cents for circulation: Philadelphia 185.3 million, Denver 41.7 million, San Francisco 50.1 million. That is 52% more than 1928. Among the 117 years from 1909 to 2025, 1929 ranks number 95 by total mintage (1 = most coins made), so it is one of the lower-mintage dates of the series. The scarcest 1929 issue by mintage is Denver (41,730,000); the most common is Philadelphia (185,262,000). Within the 1920s, 1929 ranks 2 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 rose 38% from 1928; Denver rose 34% from 1928; San Francisco rose 190% from 1928.

The mint mark, if any, sits under the date on the front of the coin. A 1929 cent with no mint mark was struck at Philadelphia and is the normal, common form for that mint. The letters you can find on 1929 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.
• 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 1929 cents (updated September 24, 2026, U.S. dollars, for coins certified by PCGS):

• 1929: $1–$3 in circulated grades (G4 to XF40); $35 in MS63 RD and $160 in MS65 RD.
• 1929-D: $1–$10 in circulated grades (G4 to XF40); $110 in MS63 RD and $775 in MS65 RD.
• 1929-S: $1–$9 in circulated grades (G4 to XF40); $100 in MS63 RD and $450 in MS65 RD.

Denver is the lowest-mintage 1929 issue (41,730,000 struck), so it is the mint collectors check first. Guide prices assume a certified coin; an uncertified, worn 1929 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.