2011 Penny Value: Price Chart by Grade & Mint Mark
Quick answer
2011 penny value: PCGS lists prices by grade; the 2011-D Shield reaches $600. Mintage, mint marks and what to check.
Updated 2026-09-25 · Sources: PCGS CoinFacts, Wikipedia, web.archive.org, U.S. Mint
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Download on the App StoreWhat are the key facts?
- Year: 2011
- Reverse design: Union Shield reverse (2010-present)
- Composition: copper-plated zinc (97.5% zinc core, 2.5% copper plating)
- Weight: 2.5 g
- Diameter: 19.05 mm
- Mintage, no mint mark (Philadelphia): 2,402,400,000 circulation strikes
- Mintage, D (Denver): 2,536,140,000 circulation strikes
- Mintage, S (San Francisco): 1,673,010 proofs
How many 2011 pennies were made
In 2011 the U.S. Mint struck about 4.94 billion Lincoln cents for circulation: Philadelphia 2.40 billion, Denver 2.54 billion. That is 13% more than 2010. Among the 117 years from 1909 to 2025, 2011 ranks number 53 by total mintage (1 = most coins made), so it is a mid-range date for availability. The scarcest 2011 issue by mintage is Philadelphia (2,402,400,000); the most common is Denver (2,536,140,000). Within the 2010s, 2011 ranks 9 of 10 years for mintage; the decade's high was 2016 (9.12 billion) and its low was 2010 (4.37 billion). Mint by mint: Philadelphia rose 22% from 2010; Denver rose 5% from 2010. Proof cents for collectors: 1,673,010 from San Francisco.
Mint marks on a 2011 penny
The mint mark, if any, sits under the date on the front of the coin. A 2011 cent with no mint mark was struck at Philadelphia and is the normal, common form for that mint. The letters you can find on 2011 circulation cents are D (Denver). Proof cents carry an S and have mirror-like fields; they came from collector sets, not from circulation.
What to check on a 2011 penny
- 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.
- From 2010 the reverse shows the Union Shield. Circulation coins are copper-plated zinc; the only way to get a different alloy is a collector set, so a 2010-or-later cent that weighs about 3.1 g is worth a second look but is almost always a plated or altered piece.
- 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.
How much is a 2011 penny worth?
PCGS Price Guide values for 2011 cents (updated September 24, 2026, U.S. dollars, for coins certified by PCGS):
The 2011 coins that bring real money are the varieties and errors:
- 2011-D Shield (RD): $6 in MS63 up to $600 in MS68.
- 2011 Shield (RD): $6 in MS63 up to $425 in MS68.
Philadelphia is the lowest-mintage 2011 issue (2,402,400,000 struck), so it is the mint collectors check first. Guide prices assume a certified coin; an uncertified, worn 2011 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.
FAQ
Is a 2011 penny with no mint mark rare?
No. A 2011 cent without a mint mark is the normal Philadelphia strike, and 2,402,400,000 were made.
What does the D on a 2011 penny mean?
D means the coin was struck at the Denver Mint. Denver made 2,536,140,000 cents in 2011, the most of any mint that year.
How do I tell if my 2011 penny is an error coin?
Compare it with the checklist above. True errors and varieties for 2011 are listed there; a photo of both sides in even light is enough for the app to flag the features worth a closer look.
More in Lincoln Penny Value by Year: 1909–2025 Price Chart
- 2010 Penny Value: Price Chart by Grade & Mint Mark
- 2012 Penny Value: Price Chart by Grade & Mint Mark
- 2013 Penny Value: Price Chart by Grade & Mint Mark
- 2014 Penny Value: Price Chart by Grade & Mint Mark
- 2015 Penny Value: Price Chart by Grade & Mint Mark
- 2016 Penny Value: Price Chart by Grade & Mint Mark
- 2017 Penny Value: Price Chart by Grade & Mint Mark
- 2018 Penny Value: Price Chart by Grade & Mint Mark
- 2019 Penny Value: Price Chart by Grade & Mint Mark
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Sources
- PCGS CoinFactswww.pcgs.com/prices/detail/lincoln-cent-modern/47/most-active
- Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_cent_mintage_figures
- web.archive.orgweb.archive.org/web/20160314070025/http://www.usmint.gov/about_the_mint/index.cf
- Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_cent
- U.S. Mintwww.usmint.gov/learn/coins-and-medals/circulating-coins/penny
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.