1952 Wheat Penny Value: Price Chart by Grade & Mint

In 1952 the U.S. Mint struck about 1.07 billion Lincoln cents for circulation: Philadelphia 186.8 million, Denver 746.1 million, San Francisco 137.8 million. That is 2% more than 1951. Among the 117 years from 1909 to 2025, 1952 ranks number 76 by total mintage (1 = most coins made), so it is a mid-range date for availability. The scarcest 1952 issue by mintage is San Francisco (137,800,004); the most common is Denver (746,130,000). Within the 1950s, 1952 ranks 5 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 fell 34% from 1951; Denver rose 19% from 1951; San Francisco rose 1% from 1951. Proof cents for collectors: 81,980 from Philadelphia.

The mint mark, if any, sits under the date on the front of the coin. A 1952 cent with no mint mark was struck at Philadelphia and is the normal, common form for that mint. The letters you can find on 1952 circulation cents are D (Denver) and S (San Francisco). Proof cents for 1952 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.
• 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 1952 cents (updated September 24, 2026, U.S. dollars, for coins certified by PCGS):

• 1952: $6 in MS63 RD and $24 in MS65 RD.
• 1952-D: $7 in MS63 RD and $22 in MS65 RD.
• 1952-S: $10 in MS63 RD and $24 in MS65 RD.

San Francisco is the lowest-mintage 1952 issue (137,800,004 struck), so it is the mint collectors check first. Guide prices assume a certified coin; an uncertified, worn 1952 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.