1941 Wheat Penny Value: Price Chart by Grade & Mint

In 1941 the U.S. Mint struck about 1.11 billion Lincoln cents for circulation: Philadelphia 887.0 million, Denver 128.7 million, San Francisco 92.4 million. That is 42% more than 1940. Among the 117 years from 1909 to 2025, 1941 ranks number 74 by total mintage (1 = most coins made), so it is a mid-range date for availability. The scarcest 1941 issue by mintage is San Francisco (92,360,000); the most common is Philadelphia (887,018,000). Within the 1940s, 1941 ranks 4 of 10 years for mintage; the decade's high was 1944 (2.15 billion) and its low was 1949 (435.2 million). Mint by mint: Philadelphia rose 51% from 1940; Denver rose 58% from 1940; San Francisco fell 18% from 1940. Proof cents for collectors: 21,100 from Philadelphia.

The mint mark, if any, sits under the date on the front of the coin. A 1941 cent with no mint mark was struck at Philadelphia and is the normal, common form for that mint. The letters you can find on 1941 circulation cents are D (Denver) and S (San Francisco). Proof cents for 1941 were struck at Philadelphia with no mint mark; they have mirror-like fields and came from collector sets, not from circulation.

• 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 1941 cents (updated September 24, 2026, U.S. dollars, for coins certified by PCGS):

• 1941: $8 in MS63 RD and $20 in MS65 RD.
• 1941-D: $9 in MS63 RD and $28 in MS65 RD.
• 1941-S: $10 in MS63 RD and $24 in MS65 RD.

The 1941 coins that bring real money are the varieties and errors:

• 1941 Doubled Die Obverse (RD): $600 in MS63 up to $35,000 in MS67.

San Francisco is the lowest-mintage 1941 issue (92,360,000 struck), so it is the mint collectors check first. Guide prices assume a certified coin; an uncertified, worn 1941 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.