Certain years of pennies are worth more than their face value due to rarity, minting errors, or historical significance. Here are some notable years of pennies that are typically worth money:
- 1909 : The first year of the Lincoln Wheat penny, especially the 1909-S VDB variety, is highly valuable to collectors
- 1943 : Most pennies were made of zinc-coated steel due to WWII copper shortages, but rare copper 1943 pennies exist and are very valuable
- 1955 : The 1955 doubled-die cent, showing a distinct doubling of inscriptions and date, is a famous valuable error coin
- 1960-D : The small D over large D mint mark variety can be worth $200-$500
- 1971-P and 1972-P : Doubled die obverse pennies from these years can be worth hundreds to thousands of dollars
- 1983-P and 1984-P : Doubled die reverse and doubled die ear varieties can fetch several hundred dollars
- 1992-D and 1999-P : Close AM and wide AM varieties can be worth $500 or more
- 1995-D : Doubled die cents from this year are also valuable
In general, pennies with minting errors, limited mintages, or historical significance (like early Lincoln pennies or wartime steel pennies) tend to be worth money beyond their one-cent face value
. Condition and rarity are key factors in determining value. Collectors often look for pennies from these years and varieties to add to their collections or for potential investment
