1944 Steel Wheat Penny (error) Value

1944 Steel Lincoln Cent (error)

ErrorTest first

Leftover steel blanks from 1943 were struck by mistake in 1944.

1944 Steel Wheat Penny (error): front (type example, 1943 steel cent) — Type example: 1943 steel cent. Your coin's date and mint mark may differ.
Photo credits
National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History (photo: Jaclyn Nash) (PD; source)

1944 Steel Wheat Penny (error): back (type example, 1943 steel cent) — Type example: 1943 steel cent. Your coin's date and mint mark may differ.
Photo credits
National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History (photo: Jaclyn Nash) (PD; source)

Often fakedPlated 1944 cents and altered 1943 steel cents. Have it authenticated by PCGS or NGC before buying or selling. Check the signs below and weigh it.

Value by condition

Penny Value estimate · values as of Q4 2026

Rarely sold — check with a dealer. Coins like this are priced one at a time after authentication.

Check your own penny

Take a photo of each side. Penny Value reads the date and the mint mark, tells you if it could be a 1944 Steel (error) and what to check.

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.

How to identify it

A silver-grey 1944 cent that sticks to a magnet and weighs about 2.7 g
Fakes are plated brass cents (a magnet won't stick) or 1943 steel cents with an altered last digit
Always have it authenticated

What to check

What a genuine 1944 Steel (error) shows:

Steel-grey or copper-coloured: Steel greyIs the coin's metal silver-grey like steel, or copper/brown?
Magnet test: Sticks to a magnetUser-only physical test: does a magnet stick to the coin?
Weight test (steel 2.70 g vs copper 3.11 g): About 2.70 g (steel)User-only physical test: the coin's weight.

To check yours, photograph

Date close-up
Weight in grams
Magnet test

Specs

Series: Lincoln Wheat Cent
Year: 1944
Mint: Philadelphia (no mint mark)
Mint mark: Below the date, on the front
Metal: Zinc-coated steel
Weight: 2.70 g · sticks to a magnet
Mintage: A handful known: about 27.
Source: Wikipedia
Designer: Victor David Brenner

Other varieties of this date

1944
Philadelphia · 1.4 billion made
7.5¢worn
79¢MS-60

Other 1944 pennies

1944-D
Denver · 430.6 million made
7.5¢worn
$1.50MS-60
1944-S
San Francisco · 282.8 million made
7.5¢worn
$1.50MS-60

1944 penny values · Every Lincoln Wheat Cent · Penny value chart