Lincoln Wheat Cent
BRENNER'S LINCOLN AND THE WHEAT EARS, 1909 TO 1958
- 1909-S V.D.B. V.D.B.$1,950–$2,850
- 1914-D$2,850–$4,150
- 1922 No D No D (Plain)$9,750–$14,250
- 1931-S$280–$380
- 1955 (Doubled Die Obverse) Doubled Die Obverse$3,700–$5,250
Prices are MS-63 estimates, Oct 2026. A photograph appears below only where we hold a licensed photo of that exact date and mint; every other issue is a medallion.
1900s
4 issues
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1910s
29 issues1920s
27 issues1930s
27 issues1940s
30 issues1950s
25 issuesNo issues match those filters.
Soon
In preparationValues are Lustre editorial estimate, Oct 2026, not market data. Medallions stand in for issues without a licensed photograph of that exact date. How we estimate.
The Lincoln Wheat Cent, in brief
The Lincoln cent debuted in 1909 for the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth, making it the first circulating US coin to show a real person. Victor David Brenner designed it; his initials V.D.B. appeared on the reverse in 1909 and were removed after complaints, then restored to the obverse shoulder in 1918. The wheat-ears reverse ran through 1958. The cents were bronze apart from 1943, when copper was needed for the war and the cent was struck in zinc-coated steel, and 1944 to 1946, when shell-case brass was used.
Most wheat cents are common and worth a few cents. The big values are in key dates: the 1909-S V.D.B., the 1914-D, the 1922 No D and the 1931-S, and in red uncirculated coins.
- Designer
- Victor David Brenner
- Composition
- 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc
- Mint marks
- Philadelphia, San Francisco, Denver
- Key dates
- 1909-S V.D.B., 1914-D, 1922 No D, 1931-S
Lincoln cent, Wikipedia: composition, weight, diameter, edge, designer, mint mark position.
Lincoln wheat cent mintage, Landofcoins.com: mintage by year and mint.
Lincoln cent mintage figures, Wikipedia: mintage cross-check.
Mintage US Coins: Lincoln Wheat Cent, Mountain View Coins: mintage cross-check (totals include Proofs).
Lustre editorial grade-value estimates, Lustre: grade value ranges (estimates, not market data).
gold-api.com spot prices (reference level for estimates), gold-api.com: reference spot prices behind the estimates.