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Rare wheat pennies: key dates, semi-keys and what's common

3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026

In short

  • Wheat pennies have two wheat ears on the back. They were made from 1909 to 1958.
  • Most dates were made by the tens or hundreds of millions, so most wheat pennies are worth a few cents.
  • A short list of low-mintage dates is worth sorting for.

Why most wheat pennies are common

The Mint made huge numbers of wheat pennies. In 1944 alone, Philadelphia made more than 1.4 billion. In most years from 1934 to 1958, Philadelphia's total ran into the hundreds of millions. For example, the catalogue estimate for a 1944 Philadelphia cent graded G4 is 6¢. This is an estimate for that identification and grade, not a guaranteed dealer offer.

Key dates and varieties

These scarce issues and the distinct No D variety deserve attention:

The semi-keys

Semi-keys are scarcer than most dates but not as rare as the keys. Here we list the wheat dates with fewer than about 7 million made:

The 1911-S and 1931-D also had small mintages, between 4 and 4.5 million each.

How to check a wheat penny

  1. Read the date. Pennies from 1909 to 1933 deserve the closest look.
  2. Look under the date for a D or an S. Usually, no letter indicates Philadelphia in this series, but the 1922 No D variety is a Denver exception.
  3. On 1909 pennies, look at the bottom of the back for the letters V.D.B.
  4. Look at the wear. Many Denver and San Francisco pennies from 1911 to 1927 were struck from worn dies, so they can look softer than their real wear.
Watch outA fake 1914-D is often a 1944-D with the first 4 changed to a 1. Check Lincoln's shoulder: the tiny letters V.D.B. were added there in 1918, so a real 1914-D doesn't have them. A too-wide gap in the date is another clue. Fake 1922 "No D" coins are often 1922-D pennies with the D scraped off. These are warning signs, not complete authentication. Have a suspected key date professionally checked before relying on its identity.

How to sort a jar

  1. Lay the pennies gently on a soft surface and separate the wheat backs.
  2. Sort them by decade.
  3. Set aside anything from 1909 to 1933. Check the date and mint mark against the lists above.
  4. Keep an eye out for the 1943 steel pennies too. They are silver-grey and common, but fun to keep.
  5. Store keepers in suitable PVC-free coin holders. Do not clean them or rub their surfaces.
  6. Scan the ones you set aside.

Finding only common dates is normal. Low original mintage is one clue; surviving supply, condition and demand also affect value.

Questions

Are wheat pennies worth anything?

Most are worth a few cents: the Mint made them by the tens or hundreds of millions. For example, our G-4 estimate for a 1944 Philadelphia wheat penny is 6¢. A short list of low-mintage dates is worth far more.

Which wheat pennies are rare?

The key dates are the 1909-S VDB (484,000 made), 1909-S (1,825,000), 1914-D (1,193,000), the 1922 "No D" Strong Reverse and the 1931-S (866,000). Semi-keys include the 1924-D, 1914-S, 1912-S, 1926-S, 1915-S, 1910-S, 1913-S and 1933-D.

How do I check a wheat penny?

Read the date (1909 to 1933 deserve the closest look), look under the date for a D or S, check 1909 pennies for V.D.B. at the bottom of the back, and compare against the key-date list. Have a suspected key date professionally checked.

Check yours

Open the Wheat set to review its slots and track the saved coins assigned to them.

Check your own penny

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

Related guides

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, “Lincoln cent mintage figures” (accessed 2026-09-26)
  2. Wikipedia, “Lincoln cent” (accessed 2026-09-26)
  3. NGC, “Grading Lincoln Cents (1909-Date)” (accessed 2026-09-26)
  4. NGC, “4. 1914-D Lincoln Cent” (accessed 2026-09-26)
  5. NGC, “7. 1922 No D Lincoln Cent” (accessed 2026-09-26)
  6. PCGS, “1922 No D 1C Strong Reverse, BN (Regular Strike)” (accessed 2026-10-05)
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