Learn › Key dates

Lincoln penny key dates: the rare years worth checking

3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026

Before you start

Billions of Lincoln pennies have been made since 1909. These entries are useful candidates to investigate, not a prediction of what you will find. Catalogue estimates assume the stated identification and grade; they are not purchase offers.

The early keys (1909–1931)

• 1909-S VDB 1909-S V.D.B.: an S under the date and the letters V.D.B. at the bottom of the back. Only 484,000 were made.
• 1909-S 1909-S (no V.D.B.): the same S, but without V.D.B. About 1.8 million were made.
• 1914-D 1914-D: a D under the date. About 1.2 million were made. The catalogue estimate for a genuine worn example graded G4 is $160.
• 1922 "No D" 1922 No D Strong Reverse: only Denver made pennies in 1922. This entry is the recognized Strong Reverse variety. A weak or missing D alone is not enough to attribute it; removed mint marks can imitate the appearance.
• 1931-S 1931-S: only 866,000 were made. The catalogue estimate at G4 is $21.00.

The wartime metal errors

• 1943 bronze 1943 Bronze (error) and 1944 steel 1944 Steel (error): pennies struck on the wrong metal when the Mint switched to steel in 1943 and back again in 1944. Both are rare. Magnet, weight and date checks provide initial clues, but plating and altered dates can mislead; those checks do not authenticate a coin.

The doubled dies

• 1955 Doubled Die 1955 Doubled Die Obverse: strong doubling on the date and the lettering, with no mint mark. This is a specific major variety, not every coin with doubled-looking lettering.
• 1969-S Doubled Die 1969-S Doubled Die Obverse: one of the rarest Lincoln varieties. Its attributed design includes an S under the date. A missing or weak S needs investigation, rather than an automatic counterfeit verdict.
• 1972 Doubled Die 1972 Doubled Die Obverse: strong doubling you can see with little or no magnification on the date, LIBERTY and IN GOD WE TRUST. Other 1972 varieties have different diagnostics.

The AMERICA varieties

• 1992 Close AM 1992 Close AM: on the back, the A and M in AMERICA almost touch. Normal 1992 pennies have a gap.
• 1999 Wide AM 1999 Wide AM: the opposite. A clear gap between A and M, when normal 1999 pennies have them close. It's the scarcest of the Wide AM years.

Before you get excited

Fakes of the 1909-S VDB, 1914-D, 1922 No D, 1943 bronze, 1944 steel, 1955 Doubled Die and 1969-S Doubled Die are common. People add or remove mint marks, change dates and plate coins. If initial checks suggest a major rarity, seek professional authentication before relying on that identification or negotiating a sale. Confirm submission instructions before mailing, and do not clean the coin.

Penny Value is an Android app for now, so it isn't on the App Store. The values and checks on this page are free to use.Penny Value is an Android app. Open this page on your Android phone to check your own penny with a photo.

Coins in this guide

• 1909-S V.D.B.

  San Francisco · 484,000 made

  Key date

  $750worn

  $2,000MS-60
• 1909-S (no V.D.B.)

  San Francisco · 1,825,000 made

  Key date

  $87.00worn

  $180MS-60
• 1914-D

  Denver · 1,193,000 made

  Key date

  $250worn

  $3,000MS-60
• 1922 No D Strong Reverse

  Denver · Part of the 7,160,000 1922-D cents (struck with a worn or filled die that left no D); not counted separately.

  Key date

  $630worn

  $4,800MS-60
• 1931-S

  San Francisco · 866,000 made

  Key date

  $35.00worn

  $100MS-60
• 1943 Bronze (error)

  Philadelphia · A handful known: about a dozen confirmed, and perhaps about 40 struck by mistake.

  ErrorTest first

  Rarely sold
• 1944 Steel (error)

  Philadelphia · A handful known: about 27.

  ErrorTest first

  Rarely sold
• 1955 Doubled Die Obverse

  Philadelphia · Roughly 20,000-24,000 are thought to exist; perhaps about 40,000 were struck during one night shift. Part of the 330,580,000 1955 total.

  Key date

  $980worn

  $1,700MS-60
• 1969-S Doubled Die Obverse

  San Francisco · Included in the 544,375,000 1969-S total; not counted separately.

  Key date

  $4,100worn

  $19,000MS-60
• 1972 Doubled Die Obverse

  Philadelphia · Included in the 2,933,255,000 1972 total; not counted separately.

  Key date

  $45.00worn

  $250MS-60
• 1992 Close AM

  Philadelphia · Included in the 4,648,905,000 1992 total; not counted separately.

  Key date

  $520worn

  $2,100MS-60
• 1999 Wide AM

  Philadelphia · Included in the 5,237,600,000 1999 total; not counted separately.

  Key date

  $4.80worn

  $23.00MS-60

Related guides

• Wheat pennies 1909–1958: key dates, semi-keys and what's common
• The 1909-S VDB: how to spot a real one

Sources

1. Wikipedia, “Lincoln cent mintage figures” (accessed 2026-09-26)
2. Wikipedia, “Lincoln cent” (accessed 2026-09-26)
3. NGC, “Top 50 Most Commonly Counterfeited U.S. Coins” (accessed 2026-09-26)
4. PCGS, “Varieties, Errors & More: The End of the One Cent Coin” (accessed 2026-09-26)
5. PCGS, “Counterfeit 1972 Doubled Die Lincoln Cent” (accessed 2026-09-26)
6. PCGS, “1922 No D 1C Strong Reverse, BN (Regular Strike)” (accessed 2026-10-05)