1951 Wheat Penny Value: Price Chart by Grade & Mint

In 1951 the U.S. Mint struck about 1.05 billion Lincoln cents for circulation: Philadelphia 284.6 million, Denver 625.4 million, San Francisco 136.0 million. That is 44% more than 1950. Among the 117 years from 1909 to 2025, 1951 ranks number 78 by total mintage (1 = most coins made), so it is a mid-range date for availability. The scarcest 1951 issue by mintage is San Francisco (136,010,000); the most common is Denver (625,355,000). Within the 1950s, 1951 ranks 7 of 10 years for mintage; the decade's high was 1959 (1.89 billion) and its low was 1954 (419.4 million). Mint by mint: Philadelphia rose 4% from 1950; Denver rose 87% from 1950; San Francisco rose 15% from 1950. Proof cents for collectors: 57,500 from Philadelphia.

The mint mark, if any, sits under the date on the front of the coin. A 1951 cent with no mint mark was struck at Philadelphia and is the normal, common form for that mint. The letters you can find on 1951 circulation cents are D (Denver) and S (San Francisco). Proof cents for 1951 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.
• Rule out cleaning (unnatural brightness, fine parallel scratches) and flat machine doubling before you call anything a variety; see how to read dates and mint marks.

PCGS Price Guide values for 1951 cents (updated September 24, 2026, U.S. dollars, for coins certified by PCGS):

• 1951: $10 in MS63 RD and $26 in MS65 RD.
• 1951-D: $8 in MS63 RD and $20 in MS65 RD.
• 1951-S: $8 in MS63 RD and $20 in MS65 RD.

The 1951 coins that bring real money are the varieties and errors:

• 1951-D DDO FS-101 (RB): $50 in MS63 up to $125 in MS65.
• 1951-D DDO, FS-101 (BN): $25 in Extremely Fine (XF40) up to $45 in MS63.

San Francisco is the lowest-mintage 1951 issue (136,010,000 struck), so it is the mint collectors check first. Guide prices assume a certified coin; an uncertified, worn 1951 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.