An old penny is worth more than a cent when its type, date, mint mark and grade line up. Large cents (1793 to 1857), Flying Eagle cents (1856 to 1858) and Indian Head cents (1859 to 1909) draw collectors even when worn. Wheat cents from 1909 to 1958 are mostly common, with scarce dates and high-grade red coins worth far more.
Old penny types by date and metal
Start by naming the type. American cents changed size, design and metal several times, and each type has its own collectors and its own price range. The date on the coin tells you which group it belongs to.
Half cents are not pennies, but they were struck alongside large cents from 1793 to 1857 and often turn up in the same old jar, so they are on the list.
If the date has worn away, size and color still narrow things down. A big copper coin is almost always a half cent or large cent, and a small cent with a paler tone than its neighbors may be a Flying Eagle or an early Indian Head.
| Type | Years | Metal | Where struck |
|---|---|---|---|
| Half cent | 1793 to 1857 | Copper | Philadelphia only |
| Large cent | 1793 to 1857 | Copper | Philadelphia only |
| Flying Eagle cent | 1856 to 1858 | Copper-nickel | Philadelphia |
| Indian Head cent | 1859 to 1909 | Copper-nickel at first, bronze from 1864 | Mostly Philadelphia |
| Lincoln wheat cent | 1909 to 1958 | Copper alloy, except zinc-coated steel in 1943 | Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco |
| Lincoln Memorial cent and later | 1959 on | Copper alloy, then copper-plated zinc from 1982 | Several mints |
Large cents and half cents
Large cents are the big copper coins, far larger than a modern cent, that circulated before 1857. Every one was struck in Philadelphia, so none carries a mint mark.
After two centuries most are dark and worn, and some are corroded, yet collectors want them in nearly every grade. Value depends on the date, the grade and the surface. A smooth brown large cent with a readable date and no corrosion is a very different coin from one that is pitted or scratched.
Half cents sell to the same collectors and are judged the same way. Keep both in whatever envelope or paper they came in, and do not try to brighten them.
Large cents often come out of jewelry boxes and desk drawers, kept apart from the rest of the change because someone knew they were old. Even a very dark one is worth showing to a buyer.
Flying Eagle and Indian Head cents
The small cent arrived with the Flying Eagle design in 1856. That design ended in 1858, so Flying Eagle cents come up far less often than the Indian Head cents that followed. Both started out in copper-nickel, which gives them a lighter color than later bronze cents.
Indian Head cents ran from 1859 to 1909 and are common in old Philadelphia family collections. Most are worn, but even worn pieces usually carry some collector value, and a few dates are scarce in any grade. Clear detail and even color push the grade up. The headband and feathers are where wear shows first.
Two-cent pieces, struck from 1864 to 1873, often sit in the same jar and sell to the same buyers. So do three-cent silver pieces from 1851 to 1873, which are tiny and easy to mistake for a worn dime.
A Flying Eagle or Indian Head cent that has been holed, bent or worn as jewelry brings less than an undamaged one, though it may still be worth more than face. Bring it along with the rest.
Wheat cents: mostly common, with exceptions
Lincoln cents with two wheat ears on the back were made from 1909 to 1958 at Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco. People saved them by the jarful, so a worn wheat cent from a common date is a common coin.
The ones worth checking are scarce dates and mint marks, wheat cents in high grade with original red color, and the 1943 cents struck on zinc-coated steel, which look silver-gray. Some years were struck in small numbers at one mint, so a date that is common from Philadelphia can be scarce from Denver or San Francisco.
On a Lincoln cent the mint mark sits just below the date. Philadelphia wheat cents have no letter, while Denver and San Francisco coins show a D or S. Use a magnifier, since the letters are small and wear down quickly.
Memorial cents from 1959 on, the ones with the Lincoln Memorial on the back, are almost always worth face when they come out of circulation. Set them aside unless they are still in a mint set or proof set, where a buyer prices the whole set.
Condition and color
Grade does much of the work in pricing an old cent. Collectors use the 1 to 70 Sheldon scale, and wear on the high points, scratches, rim dents and corrosion all pull a coin down it. Two cents of the same date can sit far apart on that scale, and the price gap between them can be wide.
Copper adds color to the grade. Graders label copper coins red, red-brown or brown, describing how much of the original mint color remains. Red is the hardest to find on old cents, and it fades with handling and damp air, so store copper coins dry and away from fingers.
Cleaning does lasting harm to copper. Scrubbing or dipping strips the natural surface, leaves a color that experienced buyers spot right away, and lowers the grade for good. If a cent is dark and dirty, leave it that way.
Humidity is the usual enemy in old Philadelphia basements. Move a penny jar or album upstairs to a dry closet, and keep coins out of soft plastic flips that feel oily, since that plastic can leave residue on copper over the years.
- A date before 1909
- Red or red-brown color that looks original
- Sharp detail with little wear on the high points
- A D or S below the date on a wheat cent
- A silver-gray cent dated 1943
- Coins kept in an old album, roll or labeled envelope
Selling old pennies from a jar or album
Jars and rolls of wheat cents take patience, and most of the coins inside will be common. Go through them by date and mint mark first, pulling anything before 1909, any coin with red color and any with a D or S. Leave the rest rolled.
Albums are different. Someone already did the sorting, and the empty holes tell you which dates the collector never found. Keep an album intact, since pushing coins out or pressing on them can scratch the surfaces.
At an appointment we go through old cents piece by piece, noting date, mint mark, grade and color, and we set apart any coin worth more than face. You get a written, item-by-item offer and can accept it that visit or keep everything along with the list.
Proof sets and mint sets usually hold a cent as well, and those coins are graded with the same red, red-brown and brown notes. Leave each set in its original Mint packaging, and keep the cents in a dry room until a buyer has seen them.
Old cents and Philadelphia
Every large cent and half cent in a family jar came from Philadelphia, and so did every Flying Eagle cent and most Indian Head cents. For people here that history is close to home. The first Mint stood on Seventh Street near Arch, a few blocks from where Independence Hall still stands, and the copper coins struck there in the 1790s are the oldest American coins most families will ever hold. Today's Mint on Independence Mall struck the last circulating cents in 2025, and Philadelphia cents carry no mint mark in nearly every year.
Penny jars come out of homes all over the region. We see them from Frankford and Mayfair rowhouses, from older homes in Manayunk and Mount Airy, and from Haddonfield and Moorestown across the river. Most are wheat cents with an Indian Head or two near the bottom, and now and then a dark large cent that someone's great-grandparent kept as a keepsake. The large cent is usually the coin that deserves the closest look. A few jars also hide a two-cent piece or a tiny three-cent silver coin that most people have never seen in change.
If you have an album of Indian Head cents, a roll of wheat cents or a big copper coin you cannot identify, call 215-798-9204. Appointments are private and one-on-one, and we check each cent for date, mint mark, grade and color before writing an offer. Families clearing a larger estate can ask about a home visit, and we return calls the same business day. If you are unsure, bring the whole jar, since a scarce date is easier to catch with you at the table than after it goes out with the loose change.