1946-S Wheat Penny Value

1946-S Lincoln Cent

1946-S Wheat Penny: front (type example, 1909 Philadelphia VDB cent) — Type example: 1909 Philadelphia VDB cent. Your coin's date and mint mark may differ. The V.D.B. initials on this example's back were removed during 1909, so later wheat pennies don't have them.
Photo credits
National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History (photo: Jaclyn Nash) (PD; source)

1946-S Wheat Penny: back (type example, 1909 Philadelphia VDB cent) — Type example: 1909 Philadelphia VDB cent. Your coin's date and mint mark may differ. The V.D.B. initials on this example's back were removed during 1909, so later wheat pennies don't have them.
Photo credits
National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History (photo: Jaclyn Nash) (PD; source)

Value by condition

Penny Value estimate · values as of Q4 2026

Worn (Good to Very Fine)

4¢ – 11¢

G-4 – VF-20

Uncirculated (MS-60)

$1.50

Brown

By grade

Typical value at each grade and colour. Penny Value estimate.
Grade	Brown	Red-Brown	Red
G-4Good	6¢	—	—
VG-8Very Good	6¢	—	—
F-12Fine	6¢	—	—
VF-20Very Fine	6¢	—	—
XF-40Extremely Fine	31¢	—	—
AU-50About Uncirculated	67¢	—	—
MS-60Mint State (Uncirculated)	$1.50	$2.00	—
MS-63Mint State (Uncirculated)	$2.00	$2.50	$4.00
MS-65Mint State (Uncirculated)	$4.50	$5.50	$9.50

Values as of Q4 2026 · Penny Value estimate · based on 9 recorded sales

Penny Value estimate, 2026-Q4, from public sale records, mintage and survival data. It isn't a price guide or an offer.

How Penny Value estimates values

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 1946-S and what to check.

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How to identify it

What to check

What a genuine 1946-S shows:

S over D (1946-S/D): NoIs a D visible under or behind the S mint mark?

Specs

Series: Lincoln Wheat Cent
Year: 1946
Mint: San Francisco
Mint mark: Below the date, on the front
Metal: Brass (95% copper, 5% zinc)
Weight: 3.11 g
Mintage: Included in the 198,100,000 1946-S total; not counted separately.
Source: Wikipedia
Designer: Victor David Brenner

Other varieties of this date

1946-S/D
San Francisco · Included in the 198,100,000 1946-S total; not counted separately.
Variety
$14.00worn
$61.00MS-60

Other 1946 pennies

1946
Philadelphia · 991.7 million made
7.5¢worn
$1.50MS-60
1946-D
Denver · 315.7 million made
7.5¢worn
79¢MS-60

1946 penny values · Every Lincoln Wheat Cent · Penny value chart