1937 Wheat Penny Value: Price Chart by Grade & Mint
Quick answer
1937 penny value: PCGS lists $26 in MS65. Mintage, mint marks and what to check.
Updated 2026-09-25 · Sources: PCGS CoinFacts, Wikipedia

Have one? Scan it to see what it's worth.
Download on the App StoreWhat are the key facts?
- Year: 1937
- Reverse design: Wheat reverse (1909-1958)
- Composition: 95% copper, 2.5% tin, 2.5% zinc (bronze)
- Weight: 3.11 g
- Diameter: 19.05 mm
- Mintage, no mint mark (Philadelphia): 309,170,000 circulation strikes, 9,320 proofs
- Mintage, D (Denver): 50,430,000 circulation strikes
- Mintage, S (San Francisco): 34,500,000 circulation strikes
- Value, MS65 RD (1937, PCGS): $26
How many 1937 pennies were made
In 1937 the U.S. Mint struck about 394.1 million Lincoln cents for circulation: Philadelphia 309.2 million, Denver 50.4 million, San Francisco 34.5 million. That is 4% more than 1936. Among the 117 years from 1909 to 2025, 1937 ranks number 89 by total mintage (1 = most coins made), so it is one of the lower-mintage dates of the series. The scarcest 1937 issue by mintage is San Francisco (34,500,000); the most common is Philadelphia (309,170,000). Within the 1930s, 1937 ranks 1 of 10 years for mintage; the decade's high was 1937 (394.1 million) and its low was 1932 (19.6 million). Mint by mint: Philadelphia held steady from 1936; Denver rose 24% from 1936; San Francisco rose 18% from 1936. Proof cents for collectors: 9,320 from Philadelphia.
Mint marks on a 1937 penny
The mint mark, if any, sits under the date on the front of the coin. A 1937 cent with no mint mark was struck at Philadelphia and is the normal, common form for that mint. The letters you can find on 1937 circulation cents are D (Denver) and S (San Francisco). Proof cents for 1937 were struck at Philadelphia with no mint mark; they have mirror-like fields and came from collector sets, not from circulation.
What to check on a 1937 penny
- 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.
How much is a 1937 penny worth?
PCGS Price Guide values for 1937 cents (updated September 24, 2026, U.S. dollars, for coins certified by PCGS):
- 1937: $12 in MS63 RD and $26 in MS65 RD.
- 1937-D: $12 in MS63 RD and $24 in MS65 RD.
- 1937-S: $10 in MS63 RD and $32 in MS65 RD.
San Francisco is the lowest-mintage 1937 issue (34,500,000 struck), so it is the mint collectors check first. Guide prices assume a certified coin; an uncertified, worn 1937 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.
FAQ
Is a 1937 penny with no mint mark rare?
No. A 1937 cent without a mint mark is the normal Philadelphia strike, and 309,170,000 were made.
What does the D on a 1937 penny mean?
D means the coin was struck at the Denver Mint. Denver made 50,430,000 cents in 1937, a normal share of the year's output.
Is a 1937-S penny valuable?
S means San Francisco, which struck 34,500,000 circulation cents in 1937, the lowest mintage of the year, so it is the issue collectors look for first. Value still depends on grade and on whether the coin is a recognised variety.
More in Lincoln Penny Value by Year: 1909–2025 Price Chart
- 1930 Wheat Penny Value: Price Chart by Grade & Mint
- 1931 Wheat Penny Value: Price Chart by Grade & Mint
- 1932 Wheat Penny Value: Price Chart by Grade & Mint
- 1933 Wheat Penny Value: Price Chart by Grade & Mint
- 1934 Wheat Penny Value: Price Chart by Grade & Mint
- 1935 Wheat Penny Value: Price Chart by Grade & Mint
- 1936 Wheat Penny Value: Price Chart by Grade & Mint
- 1938 Wheat Penny Value: Price Chart by Grade & Mint
- 1939 Wheat Penny Value: Price Chart by Grade & Mint
Related
See what your coins are really worth.
Start with a single scan.
Have one? Scan it to see what it's worth.
Sources
- PCGS CoinFactswww.pcgs.com/prices/detail/lincoln-cent-wheat-reverse/46/most-active
- Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_cent_mintage_figures
- Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_cent
Compiled by the CoinLens editorial team
Every fact on this page is taken from the sources listed above; numbers and prices are copied from the source, and prices name the guide or auction and its date. Research and drafting were assisted by AI, and each claim was then checked against the cited sources. Checked 2026-09-25. We do not buy, sell or grade items; the app identifies what you photograph and points you to these references.