1983 Penny Value: Doubled Die & Price Chart by Grade

In 1983 the U.S. Mint struck about 14.22 billion Lincoln cents for circulation: Philadelphia 7.75 billion, Denver 6.47 billion. That is 15% fewer than 1982. Among the 117 years from 1909 to 2025, 1983 ranks number 3 by total mintage (1 = most coins made), so it is one of the most common dates in the series. The scarcest 1983 issue by mintage is Denver (6,467,199,428); the most common is Philadelphia (7,752,355,000). Within the 1980s, 1983 ranks 2 of 10 years for mintage; the decade's high was 1982 (16.73 billion) and its low was 1986 (8.93 billion). Mint by mint: Philadelphia fell 28% from 1982; Denver rose 8% from 1982. Proof cents for collectors: 3,279,126 from San Francisco.

The mint mark, if any, sits under the date on the front of the coin. A 1983 cent with no mint mark was struck at Philadelphia and is the normal, common form for that mint. The letters you can find on 1983 circulation cents are D (Denver). Proof cents carry an S and have mirror-like fields; they came from collector sets, not from circulation.

• The 1983 doubled die reverse shows clear doubling on ONE CENT and E PLURIBUS UNUM. Check the reverse lettering, not the date.
• Between 1974 and 1986 the West Point facility also struck cents, without any mint mark. A cent from these years with no mint mark can therefore be from Philadelphia or West Point; the two cannot be told apart, and neither is scarce.
• Cents from 1983 onward are copper-plated zinc (about 2.5 g). The plating is thin, so these coins corrode easily: bubbles, pitting or grey spots on a bright coin are damage, not a variety.
• 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 1983 cents (updated September 24, 2026, U.S. dollars, for coins certified by PCGS):

• 1983: $5 in MS63 RD and $14 in MS65 RD.
• 1983-D: $5 in MS63 RD and $16 in MS65 RD.

The 1983 coins that bring real money are the varieties and errors:

• 1983 Doubled Die Reverse (RD): $160 in MS60 up to $8,500 in MS68.

Denver is the lowest-mintage 1983 issue (6,467,199,428 struck), so it is the mint collectors check first. Guide prices assume a certified coin; an uncertified, worn 1983 cent usually sells for less than the lowest figure above, and most circulated zinc cents are worth face value. 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.