Photo - 1937 Wheat Penny - Public Domain Photo

Wheat pennies or wheat cents were produced from 1909 to 1958. The Average Wheat penny is worth between 5-25 cents. However some are very valuable. The Wheat penny was designed by a New York sculptor, Victor David Brenner. Brenner included his initials V.D.B. on the reverse of the coin below the two wheat stalks on a limited number of coins. Most of the Wheat pennies have his initials on the front of the coin below Lincoln's shoulder. One of the most valuable wheat pennies is the 1909 VDS cent, which can bring in between $6,000 to $12,000.

A Guide Book of Lincoln Cents (The Official Red Book) Wheat pennies can go even higher in value such as the 1941 D which, uncirculated can bring over $26,000. Error wheat pennies like the 1922 plain, the result of a failed die and the 1955 doubled die are also very valuable. The most valuable wheat penny would probably be the 1943 copper. Because of the war, 1943 pennies were made of steel and coated with zinc. However a few were accidentally made of copper and can be worth close to $100,000. Beware of fake 1943 copper coins. Scammers take steel 1943 pennies and coat them with copper. To tell the fakes, test your coin with a magnet. If it sticks it is a fake and made of steel. Another trick is to take a 1948 wheat penny and cut off half the 8 to make it look like a 3.

Below you will find Wheat Pennies for Sale and Books to determine the value and prices of your Wheat Penny collection.

On this page you will find wheat pennies for sale plus books that show their value. Most of the old ones that you pick up are worth between five and twenty five cents. What makes this hobby really exciting are that a few of them can be worth a lot of money. For example a 1909 penny with the initials of Victor David Brenner, V.D.B. who designed this coin is maybe worth between $15 to $20. However a few have a tiny "S" which means it was minted in San Francisco and can be worth between $6,000 to $12,000.

It is always exciting to find one of these old coins just lying around and sometimes you might get one in your change. Always hang on to them because you need to research their value before spending them and besides that even the ones worth the least are more than face value.

Many rare wheat pennies can go higher in value. Another example is the 1941 D. If this coin is uncirculated it can go as high as $26,000. But then if it is uncirculated you won't be finding this one on the ground or stuffed in some cubbyhole someplace. Another thing that makes these coins really valuable is that sometimes an error happens while they are being produced. Examples are the 1922 date, which has no letter telling where it was made. Because the die failed while it was being manufactured some don't have any letter and these are worth a bit. Another manufacturing error resulted in the 1955 coin being stamped twice. This is called "double die" coins. It is exciting to purchase un-searched bags of coins to find these treasures but be aware and buy from reputable places because this could be a scam and your investment may not pan out.

The most exciting wheat penny is the 1943 copper. During the war copper was needed for the war effort so the pennies were made from steel and coated with zinc. However just a very few were made in copper. They are now worth at least $100,000. But be very careful. Because these are worth so much scammers are out there to steal your money. They may come to you and show you this valuable coin and have some convincing story why they are selling it so cheap and you think you are making a great investment in getting it. Later to your horror you discover that it is a fake.

These scammers will paint these coins in a copper color and the only way to tell is to test them with a magnet. If the coin is attracted to the magnet then you know that it has a steel core and is fake. Another way to steal your money is to take a 1948 wheat copper penny and carefully cut off half of the 8 making it appear as a 3. The way to check this is to compare other coins that have a three on then. They look a lot different then half an eight. Know your coins before you buy. Research and invest in books to find out what they are worth. 1944 and 1945 are always popular.

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Dear Wheat Penny Fans,

I am writing to you in behalf of your Heavenly Father. He is seeking you like a lost sheep. You remember the Bible story? It is about a shepherd who has 100 sheep. But when he brings the sheep home one night, one is missing. He then leaves the 99 sheep and goes out into the wilderness until he finds that lost sheep.

In this parable the shepherd goes out to search for the one lost sheep-the very least that can be numbered. So if there had been but one lost soul, Christ would have died for that one. To read more click Lost Sheep

Susan Dietel
Web Programmer
Email: susansdesign@yahoo.com
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