11 Rare Wheat Penny Errors That Could Be Worth a Fortune

Most Valuable Wheat Penny Errors That Could Make You Rich

Wheat pennies, minted between 1909 and 1958, are famous for their unique design. These coins have two ears of wheat on the reverse. Many of these coins have only sentimental value, but some Rare Error Coins can be worth millions of dollars.

These errors are caused by a glitch at the U.S. Mint and are coveted by collectors. If you collect coins, you should know about these Most Rare and Valuable Wheat Penny Error Coins.

1943 Double Die Obverse

Double die obverse (DDO) occurs when there is a slight shift in the die used to make the coin, causing the design to appear double. This 1943 Wheat Penny has clear doubling of the 9 and 3 of LIBERTY and the date.

• Low Grade Coin: $30
• AU55 (Almost Uncirculated): $100
• MS65 (Mint State): $1,500

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1943 (D) Repunched Mintmark

A repunched mintmark (RPM) occurs when the mintmark is stamped twice, resulting in a double image. On the 1943-D Wheat Penny the first “D” is slightly lower and to the left.

• Fine (F12) Grade: $75
• Uncirculated: $200
• Better Grade Coins: $1,000 – $15,000

1944 D/S Mintmark Error

This error occurred when a die with the San Francisco ‘S’ mintmark was re-punched with the Denver ‘D’ mintmark. This coin has a faint ‘S’ visible beneath the ‘D’.

• Fine Grades: $75
• AU55 (Almost Uncirculated): $260
• MS65 (Mint State): $4,000 – $20,000

1936 Doubled Die Obverse

This 1936 Wheat Penny from the Philadelphia Mint features clear doubling of the letters IN GOD WE TRUST and LIBERTY

• Normal Circulated Coins: $100
• AU55: $200
• MS65: $600
• Highest Grades: $5,000

1909 S Over Horizontal S

This is a rare mintmark error where the first ‘S’ is accidentally punched horizontally , which was later straightened.

• Normal Circulated Coins: $100
• Uncirculated (Unused): $250
• MS67 (Red Coin): $32,900

1917 Double Die Obverse

This 1917 Wheat Penny is also a great example of the Double Die Obverse Error. It features a double image of IN GOD WE TRUST and the date numbers.

• Circulated Coins: $200
• Almost Uncirculated: $1,500
• MS60 (Mint State): $3,750
• Best Known Red Coin (MS67+): $135,000

1922 No D

This 1922 Wheat Penny was minted at the Denver Mint, but does not have a visible mintmark. This is because the ‘D’ was lost due to excessive polishing of the die.

• XF45 (Extremely Fine): $500
• AU55 (Brown): $6,350
• MS65 (Mint State): $90,000
• Highest Grade Red Coin (MS64): $275,000

1955 Double Die Obverse

The 1955 Double Die Obverse Wheat Penny is one of the most coveted by collectors. The letters IN GOD WE TRUST and LIBERTY are clearly doubled.

• Commonly Circulated Coins: $1,200
• AU55 (Brown): $2,650
• MS65+ (Red Penny): $288,000

1958 Double Die Obverse

This is one of the rarest Wheat Penny errors ever made, as there are only three known examples in the world. The letters IN GOD WE TRUST and LIBERTY are clearly doubled.

• MS64 (two known examples): $340,000
• MS65 (only known coin): $1.14 million

1943 Bronze Cent

In 1943, all pennies were made of steel, because of a shortage of copper due to the war. But some coins were erroneously Made on copper plate in 1942, these are extremely rare and valuable today.

• XF45 (Brown Coin): $215,000
• MS63 (Red Coin): $1 million

1943 Experimental Shell Case Cent

In 1943, some experimental coins were made from a mixture of copper, zinc and silver. These coins are still very rare today.

• Estimated value: $150,000

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Do you have any rare Wheat Pennies

If you have old Wheat Pennies, check them carefully. Mistaken coins can make a small thing in your pocket worth thousands or even millions of dollars.

• If any date or letter shows doubling or other irregularities, show the coin to an expert. – The value of high quality coins can increase very quickly

Who knows, there might be a rare treasure hidden right in your pocket!

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