Premiering in 1909, Lincoln’s profile has graced the one-cent coin for over 100 years, and has appeared in various forms throughout its reign. High coin values aren’t generally associated with pennies, but what is thought to be the least useful pocket change could turn out to be worth a million dollars. Pennies of particular value are those minted between 1909 and 1959 that sport two stalks of wheat, having been replaced after 1959 with the Memorial design. These various mints resulted in a handful of high-value coins; here are three of those Lincoln wheat pennies. 

3 Lincoln Wheat Pennies With High Coin Values

1. 1943-S Bronze 

Due to copper rationing for war purposes, the 1943 penny changed from copper to zinc-plated steel. These pennies have a rather unimpressive value, but some 1942 bronze plates found their way into the production line, creating an error penny ranking remarkably in coin values. In 2012 one of these pennies sold for 1 million dollars. 

2. 1943-D Copper

The 1943-D Lincoln Wheat follows the same storyline of the 1943-S penny, where it was supposed to be created by steel planchets instead of bronze. The “S” and “D”—and also “P”—stand for the minted cities: San Francisco, Denver and Philadelphia. While over billions of pennies were minted during the steel-plated penny’s production, only one copper-minted Lincoln Wheat is known to exist and is valued at half a million dollars.

3. 1944 Steel

After the war, copper was once again used in the minting process but with a slight variation, increasing coin values for uncirculated pennies minted in 1944. These Lincoln Wheats have an upwards value of $125,000 because they contain no tin and were created from recycled ammunition shells from the war. However, their tin-less uniqueness is only visible in uncirculated coins. 

Since 1973, Hawaiian Islands Stamps & Coin has helped the residents of Honolulu with their coin authenticating needs and appraisals. In addition to coin authenticating services, avid collectors will be pleased to find gold coins, old coins, and even antique Hawaiian coins in their store. Whether you are looking for collectibles or to have your valuables authenticated or appraised, Hawaiian Islands Stamps & Coin is happy to assist and answer any questions you may have. Visit their website for more information, or speak to an expert staff member by calling (808) 531-6251 today.