1974 Aluminum Penny (pattern) Value

1974 Aluminum Cent (pattern)

Pattern

An experimental aluminum issue never released for public circulation. Ownership claims require specialist advice.

1974 Aluminum Penny (pattern): back (type example, 2005-D Memorial reverse) — Type example: 2005-D Memorial cent and 2005-D Memorial reverse. Your coin's date and mint mark may differ.
Photo credits
United States Mint image (PD; front, back)

Often fakedA silver colour alone does not establish aluminum composition or authenticity; plated or altered cents can look similar. 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 1974 Aluminum (pattern) 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 very light (about 0.94 g), silver-coloured 1974 cent
Struck as a test and never released; considered US government property

What to check

What a genuine 1974 Aluminum (pattern) shows:

Steel-grey or copper-coloured: Steel greyIs the coin's metal silver-grey like steel, or copper/brown?

Specs

Series: Lincoln Memorial Cent
Year: 1974
Mint: Philadelphia (no mint mark)
Mint mark: Below the date, on the front
Metal: Aluminum (1974 pattern, not released)
Weight: 0.94 g
Mintage: About 1.57 million were struck in 1973 with the 1974 date; the Mint recalled and destroyed them and none were released. Only a handful are thought to survive.
Source: Wikipedia
Designer: Victor David Brenner (obverse), Frank Gasparro (reverse)

Other varieties of this date

1974
Philadelphia · Included in the 4,103,183,000 1974 total; not counted separately.
4¢worn

Other 1974 pennies

1974-D
Denver · 4.2 billion made
4¢worn
1974-S
San Francisco · 409.4 million made
4¢worn
1974-S Proof
San Francisco · Proof · 2,612,568 made
Proof

1974 penny values · Every Lincoln Memorial Cent · Penny value chart