Penny Coins: U.S. Cent History and Which Ones Are Valuable

A penny is the U.S. one-cent coin, officially the cent, first struck in 1793. Until 1857 it was a large copper coin about the size of today's dollar coins; since then it has been a small cent (Wikipedia). Four designs cover almost every penny you will find:

• Large cents, 1793–1857.
• Flying Eagle cent, 1857–1858, copper-nickel.
• Indian Head cent, 1859–1909. See Indian Head one cent.
• Lincoln cent, 1909 to today. The same obverse has been used since 1909; the reverse showed wheat ears from 1909 to 1958, four different scenes in 2009 for Lincoln's bicentennial, and the Union Shield from 2010 (Wikipedia).

Composition matters because it changes the weight and the value of the metal. Per Wikipedia:

• 1793–1795: nearly pure copper.
• 1857–1864: copper-nickel (Flying Eagle and early Indian Head, 4.67 g).
• 1864–1942: bronze, 95% copper with tin and zinc, 3.11 g.
• 1943: zinc-coated steel, the only year a magnet picks up a regular cent. See 1943 steel penny.
• 1944–1946: brass from salvaged shell cases plus copper.
• 1962 to September 1982: 95% copper, 5% zinc.
• October 1982 to today: copper-plated zinc, 2.5 g.

A scale tells you which side of 1982 a coin falls on: 3.11 g copper against 2.5 g zinc. Both types were made in 1982.

The U.S. has stopped making pennies for circulation, but it has not withdrawn them. According to Wikipedia: in February 2025 President Donald Trump instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to halt production because of the cost; in May 2025 the Treasury said the Mint had stopped buying penny blanks and would stop when its stock ran out; and the last penny for general circulation was struck at the Philadelphia Mint on November 12, 2025. The Mint still makes cents for collector sets. The coin remains legal tender. Making one cost 3.69 cents in 2024.

A rounding bill, the Common Cents Act, was introduced in April 2025 and, as amended to permit rounding when pennies are not available rather than require it, had cleared both chambers of Congress by September 2026; Wikipedia gives an effective date of September 2027. Because about a quarter trillion pennies were in circulation in 2024, the end of production does not make ordinary modern pennies scarce or valuable.

Most pennies are worth one cent; pre-1982 copper cents also have a little metal value. The ones worth real money are key dates, doubled dies and errors. Examples from the PCGS Price Guide (September 24, 2026):

• 1909-S VDB: $875 in Good; see 1909.
• 1914-D: $185 in Good, $17,500 in MS65 RD.
• 1922 No D (Strong Reverse): $550 in Good.
• 1931-S: $70 in Good.
• 1943 bronze and 1944 steel errors: $46,000 to $1,700,000.
• 1955 Doubled Die Obverse: $875 in Good, $65,000 in MS65 RD.
• 1969-S Doubled Die Obverse: $28,500 in MS60 BN.
• 1972 Doubled Die Obverse: $240 in MS60 BN, $900 in MS65 RD.
• 1983 Doubled Die Reverse: $65 in MS60 BN to $8,500 in MS68 RD.
• 1992 Close AM: $2,600 in MS60 BN.

Older Indian Head cents are worth at least about $2.50 each (USA CoinBook, February 2026). For the full Lincoln list see most valuable wheat pennies.

• 1983: the value is in the 1983 Doubled Die Reverse, where the lettering on the back is doubled. PCGS lists it at $65 in MS60 BN up to $8,500 in MS68 RD (September 24, 2026). An ordinary 1983 cent is worth face value. See 1983.
• 1999: we found no dated guide value of $4,500 for any 1999 cent. PCGS lists a normal 1999 at $15 in MS65 RD and $150 in MS68 RD; only a nearly perfect MS69 RD is listed high, at $8,500. So a 1999 penny is worth money only if it is flawless and certified, or a recognized variety. See 1999.

• Read the design and date. Wheat ears on the back mean 1909–1958; an Indian in a headdress means 1859–1909.
• Find the mint mark. On Lincoln cents it is under the date. See reading dates and mint marks.
• Look for doubling in the date, LIBERTY and IN GOD WE TRUST with a magnifier; rounded, separated doubling is a die variety, flat shelf-like doubling is machine damage.
• Weigh odd-colored coins. A silver-colored 1943 is normal steel; a silver-colored coin of another year is usually plated.
• Photograph both sides in the app. It reads the date, mint mark and design, and flags known varieties for that year.

Research and drafting for this page were assisted by AI and checked line by line against the sources listed below. Prices are copied from the named price guide or auction report with its date; where a figure could not be confirmed we say so rather than estimate. If you find an error, tell us and we will correct it.

Yes. The 1 cent coin is still legal tender, but the last one for general circulation was struck at the Philadelphia Mint on November 12, 2025, and the Mint now makes cents only for collector sets (Wikipedia)). About a quarter trillion were estimated to be in circulation in 2024, so pennies will keep turning up in change for years. Dual-dated 1776~2026 cents were planned for collectors for the 250th anniversary.

The current U.S. 1 cent coin (Wikipedia)):

• Weight: 2.5 g.
• Diameter: 19.05 mm (0.75 in).
• Thickness: 1.52 mm.
• Edge: plain.
• Composition: copper-plated zinc, 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper, since October 1982.
• Front: Abraham Lincoln, designed by Victor David Brenner, used since 1909.
• Back since 2010: Union Shield, designed by Lyndall Bass (Wikipedia).

If a coin that looks like a penny weighs 3.1 g, it is a copper cent from 1982 or earlier; 2.7 g and magnetic is a 1943 steel cent. The full history is on Lincoln penny.

Sort by design first, then check the date:

• Large cents (1793–1857): big copper coins, 10.9 to 13.5 g. We could not confirm a dated guide price for a typical example here; value depends heavily on date and wear, so scan or get it appraised.
• Flying Eagle and early Indian Head (1856–1864): copper-nickel, 4.7 g (Wikipedia)).
• Indian Head (1859–1909): at least about $2.50 each; see Indian Head penny value.
• Wheat cents (1909–1958): most dates list $1 to $5 in Good 4; key dates such as the 1909-S VDB ($875) and 1914-D ($185) are worth far more (PCGS, September 24, 2026).
• Memorial cents (1959–1982): worn copper ones are worth about 4.46 cents in metal (USA CoinBook, September 25, 2026).