1925 Penny Coin Value: Errors List, “D”, “S” & No Mint Mark Worth

1925 Penny value ranges from $0.01 face value to $74,750. That record was set by a Grade 66 example sold through Heritage Auctions in September 2009. Upload a photo of yours below and we’ll give you a quick value range. You can also scroll down to check recent eBay sales and see what collectors are paying today.

 

1925 Wheat Penny Value By Variety

Mint mark and condition make all the difference here. A beat-up Philly example barely fetches a dollar, while a full-red San Francisco coin in top grade can hit five figures.

If you already know the grade of your coin, jump straight to the Value Guides section below.

Also Read: Top 100 Most Valuable Modern Pennies Worth Money (1959 – Present)

 

Top 10 Most Valuable 1925 Wheat Penny Worth Money

The king of the 1925 series is a 1925-D graded MS66RD that brought $74,750 at Heritage Auctions in 2009. Only two coins had reached that grade at the time, and the bidding reflected it. Right behind it sits a 1925-S MS65RD at $54,625 from 2005 — and the drop to the next grade down is brutal. That same 1925-S falls to $18,213 at MS64, a gap of over $36,000 for one grade point. That’s the kind of cliff that makes condition everything in this series.

The 1925-S/S RPM FS-501 MS64RD also cracks the top 10 at $1,920, proving that cherrypicked error varieties carry real weight even at lower Mint State levels.

 

History Of The 1925 Wheat Penny

The 1925 penny landed right in the middle of the Roaring Twenties. On March 4, Calvin Coolidge was inaugurated for his full term — the first presidential inauguration ever broadcast live on radio. That’s a fun detail: people across the country heard it happen in real time for the first time.

The same year brought the Scopes Trial, where a Tennessee biology teacher was arrested for teaching evolution. Clarence Darrow squared off against William Jennings Bryan in a courtroom spectacle that gripped the whole nation.

By 1925, Brenner’s wheat cent design had been circulating for sixteen years. Lincoln’s portrait was still a relatively bold choice — it was the first time a real person had appeared on a regular U.S. coin. Radio was booming, movies were the new national pastime, and consumer credit was fueling a spending spree that would end badly in 1929.

Mint production was starting to ease off after the post-WWI surge. That slowdown — especially at Denver and San Francisco — is exactly why high-grade 1925-D and 1925-S cents are so tough to track down today.

Also Read: Top 100 Rarest Pennies Worth Money (1787 – Present)

 

Is Your 1925 Wheat Penny Rare?

For instant rarity assessment of your wheat pennies across all years and mint marks, the Coin Identifier and Value App provides comprehensive rarity rankings and current market valuations.

 

Key Features Of The 1925 Wheat Penny

The Obverse Of The 1925 Wheat Penny

You’re looking at Lincoln’s right-facing portrait, designed by Victor David Brenner. “IN GOD WE TRUST” arches over his head, “LIBERTY” sits to his left, and the date is to his right.

Brenner’s initials — “VDB” — appear in tiny letters along the base of Lincoln’s bust. They were originally on the reverse in 1909, yanked that same year for being too prominent, then quietly added back on the obverse in 1918.

Check below the date for the mint mark. A small “D” means Denver. A small “S” means San Francisco. No letter at all? That’s Philadelphia.

Here’s a neat detail specific to 1925 Philly cents: researcher Q. David Bowers noted that most are well-struck, but they use the ODV-010 die type (called “Flat Foot to G of GOD”). The “5” in the date has an unusually short tail — a quirk that wasn’t corrected until 1950.

The Reverse Of The 1925 Wheat Penny

Flip it over and you’ll see Brenner’s reverse design: two ears of durum wheat framing “ONE CENT” in the center with “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” below. “E PLURIBUS UNUM” arches across the top.

When you’re grading, look closely at the fine parallel lines inside each wheat stalk. Sharper lines mean less wear and a higher grade. Those details wear down fast in circulation.

Other Features Of The 1925 Wheat Penny

The 1925 wheat penny measures exactly 19.00 millimeters in diameter and weighs 3.11 grams. It’s 95% copper with the remaining 5% split between tin and zinc. The edge is plain — no reeding.

That high copper content is why color designation drives so much of the value. A coin keeping 95% or more of its original red surface earns the RD (Red) label and commands top dollar. Coins showing 5–95% red get RB (Red-Brown). Mostly dark coins are BN (Brown). The price gap between RD and BN at the same grade can be enormous.

Also Read: 100 Most Valuable Wheat Pennies Worth Money (1909 to 1958)

 

1925 Wheat Penny Mintage & Survival Data

Philadelphia cranked out nearly 140 million coins — roughly three times what Denver and San Francisco made combined. Denver struck 22.6 million, and San Francisco produced 26.4 million.

Here’s where it gets counterintuitive. Despite having the biggest mintage, Philadelphia only has about 5,500 high-grade survivors. Denver, with the smallest mintage, has around 1,750 — actually double Philly’s survival rate of 0.0039%. San Francisco is the real heartbreaker: only about 450 high-grade coins survive, a survival rate of just 0.0017%. Those coins got beaten up hard in rural western commerce.

One more thing: the U.S. Mint made no proof cents between 1916 and 1936. Every 1925 penny you’ll ever see is a business strike.

Also Read: 100 Most Valuable Indian Head Penny Coins Worth Money (1859 – 1909)

 

The Easy Way to Know Your 1925 Wheat Penny Value

Knowing mint marks and grades is a solid start, but nailing down an accurate value takes more. The Coin Value Checker APP does the heavy lifting — just snap a photo and it analyzes condition, mint mark, and rarity against current market data.

Whether you’re a seasoned collector or just found a coin in a junk drawer, you’ll get a reliable estimate without the guesswork.

 

1925 Wheat Penny Value Guides

Three varieties exist, identified by the mint mark (or lack of one) below the date.

• 1925 No Mint Mark Wheat Penny Value — Philadelphia Mint production
• 1925 D Wheat Penny Value — Denver Mint production
• 1925 S Wheat Penny Value — San Francisco Mint production

Philadelphia coins carry no mint mark and account for roughly 140 million pieces. Denver coins show a small “D” with 22.6 million struck. San Francisco cents have an “S” with 26.4 million produced.

Also Read: Lincoln Wheat Penny Value (1909-1958)

 

1925 No Mint Mark Wheat Penny Value

With 139,949,000 struck, you’d think these would be easy to find in any grade. Not so. PCGS ranks this date as the 10th-most-challenging Philadelphia issue to collect in top grade between 1909 and 1929. Worn examples? They’re everywhere. Pristine ones? A completely different kind of rare.

Circulated coins in Good or Fine grade typically sell for under $1. The action starts in high Mint State, where color designation makes or breaks the price. About 24.28% of all PCGS- and NGC-certified 1925 Philly cents sit at MS65RD, keeping that grade level around $230–$250. It’s MS67RD and above where serious money kicks in.

PCGS population data (as of July 2025) shows just one coin graded MS68RD in their entire census. NGC reports four examples at MS67+RD. CAC has stickered 18 coins at MS67RD, confirming exceptional eye appeal at that level.

Big sales to know: the Stewart Blay “Red Copper Collection” MS67+RD CAC coin brought $15,172.88 at GreatCollections in January 2023. Another MS67+RD realized $14,162.62 at GreatCollections in June 2024. A Heritage Auctions “Whispering Pines Collection” example sold for $6,300 in January 2024. Straight MS67RD coins regularly trade between $800 and $900, though one hit $2,400 in August 2022.

Here’s how this coin has performed at auction over the years.

Collector demand for high-grade full-red examples remains strong.

Market activity score: 72/100 as of Sep 2026 — up 25 points from Jun 2026. Currently at its 12-month peak.

Also Read: Value Of Old Pennies By Year (1959-Present)

 

1925-D Wheat Penny Value

How does the lowest-mintage 1925 variety end up with the best survival rate? Denver struck just 22,580,000 — about 12% of that year’s total — yet roughly 1,750 high-grade examples survive. That actually beats both Philadelphia and San Francisco on a percentage basis.

In circulated grades, you can pick one up for $1–$2. But the jump to top Mint State is staggering. The auction record sits at $74,750, set in September 2009 by an MS66RD example at Heritage Auctions. The catalog noted only two MS-66 RD examples were known at the time. I think this is one of the most underappreciated Denver issues of the 1920s.

Watch for Repunched Mintmark (RPM) varieties too. Several D/D configurations exist with the mintmark displaced in different directions. Common circulated RPM examples bring $20–$50, while Mint State pieces with sharp repunching can reach $200 or more.

Auction history for the 1925-D across major houses:

Current trading volume and collector activity for the 1925-D:

Market activity score: 62/100 as of Sep 2026 — up 16 points from Jun 2026. 12-month peak: 68 (Aug 2026).

 

1925-S Wheat Penny Value

Only about 450 high-grade examples survive. Let that sink in. San Francisco struck 26,380,000 cents in 1925, but the survival rate is a miserable 0.0017% — the worst of any 1925 variety. These coins got worked hard in rural western commerce and it shows.

To make things worse, the San Francisco Mint frequently turned out weakly struck cents during this era. Lincoln’s cheek comes mushy. The wheat ear details on the reverse look soft. Combine heavy circulation wear with weak strikes and you’ve got a coin that’s genuinely tough to find well-preserved. Anything MS65 or above rarely shows up at auction.

The record sale? An MS65RD example brought $54,625 in May 2005 — only fourteen coins had been certified at that grade. An MS65RB sold for $6,463 at Heritage Auctions in September 2015. We consider this the toughest of the three 1925 varieties to collect in high grade, hands down.

Auction results across different preservation levels:

Market activity chart for this coin:

Market activity score: 57/100 as of Sep 2026 — up 17 points from Jun 2026. 12-month peak: 62 (Aug 2026).

Also Read: Top 100 Most Valuable Modern Pennies Worth Money (1959 – Present)

 

Rare 1925 Wheat Penny Error List

The 1925 series has some genuinely fun errors to cherrypick. Two of the best-known belong to the San Francisco issue, but errors pop up on all three mint marks. Here’s what you should be looking for.

1. 1925-S DDO FS-101 (Doubled Die Obverse)

A DDO error happens during die-making, when the hub impresses the design onto a working die twice at slightly different angles. Every coin struck from that die carries the same doubling — that’s what separates a true DDO from worthless machine doubling.

On the 1925-S DDO FS-101, look at Lincoln’s eye area first. There’s an extra eyelid visible under 10x magnification. The doubling also shows on the date and the lettering in “LIBERTY” and “IN GOD WE TRUST.” The FS-101 designation comes from the *Cherrypickers’ Guide*, the go-to reference for Lincoln cent varieties.

An MS65BN example sold for $1,116 at Heritage Auctions in June 2016. An MS63RB brought $1,150 on eBay in January 2023. Red examples are extremely scarce and command strong premiums. Circulated pieces with visible doubling typically sell for $50–$200.

2. 1925-S/S RPM FS-501 (Repunched Mintmark)

This is a classic cherrypicking target. Back in the 1920s, every mintmark was hand-punched into each working die individually. A mint worker hit the “S” slightly off-target, then corrected it — leaving a ghost of the first impression next to the final one. You need magnification to spot it clearly.

RPM errors are common across the whole wheat cent series because of that hand-punching process. The 1925-S/S FS-501 is the primary catalogued variety for this year, and enough examples exist to keep a steady market going.

An MS64RD specimen sold for $1,920 at Stack’s Bowers in March 2018. An MS63RB realized $900 at Stack’s Bowers in November 2017, and an MS64BN brought $825 at David Lawrence Rare Coins in October 2022.

3. 1925-D RPM Varieties (Repunched Mintmark)

Denver has its own RPM varieties too. Several distinct D/D configurations exist, with the secondary impression displaced north, south, east, or west of the primary “D.”

Common circulated examples bring $20–$50 depending on how clear the repunching is. Sharper Mint State examples can command $200 or more. Always check the “D” on any 1925-D penny under at least 5–10x magnification before you spend it or toss it in a junk box.

4. Off-Center Strikes

These happen when a planchet isn’t properly centered in the press during striking. You get the design shifted to one side with a blank crescent on the other.

Minor off-center errors of 5–10% on a 1925 penny are worth $5–$10. Dramatic examples at 50% or more off-center — with the date still fully visible — can reach $200–$500 or more. The date is the key. If you can read all four digits of “1925,” collectors will pay top dollar.

5. Grease-Filled Die Errors

When grease or debris clogs part of the die cavity, the metal can’t flow into that area during striking. The result is smooth, blank spots where letters or design elements should be — most often in “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” or the date.

Minor examples affecting small areas sell for $10–$30. Multiple missing letters push the price to $50–$100. Spectacular examples missing major design elements can reach $150 or more. Be careful, though — heavy wear can mimic this error. If you’re not sure, get a professional opinion before assuming you’ve found one.

Also Read: 42 Rare Penny Errors List with Pictures (By Year)

 

Where To Sell Your 1925 Wheat Penny?

Now that you understand your 1925 wheat penny’s value, choosing the right venue matters. I’ve researched the top platforms for selling wheat pennies, including their features, advantages, and limitations.

Check out now: Best Places To Sell Coins Online (Pros & Cons)

 

1925 Wheat Penny Market Trend

Market interest: 4,380 collectors tracking this coin as of Sep 2026 — up 900 from Mar 2026. 12-month peak: 5,390 (Oct 2025).

*Market Trend Chart showing the number of people paying attention to this coin.

 

FAQ About The 1925 Wheat Penny

1. What is a 1925 penny worth in average circulated condition?

A 1925 Philadelphia (no mint mark) penny in average circulated condition runs about $0.40–$0.50. A 1925-D brings roughly $1.50–$2, and a 1925-S about $1.75–$2.50. None are rare in circulated grades — the real money is in high Mint State examples.

2. What to look for in a 1925 penny?

Start below the date. No letter means Philadelphia, “D” means Denver, “S” means San Francisco. Next, check the color: does it still glow red-orange (RD), show a mix of red and brown (RB), or look mostly dark (BN)? Red coins are worth the most. Then grab a loupe and look for doubled die features, repunched mintmark traces, or off-center strikes. Avoid cleaned or polished coins — surface damage kills collector value.

3. What is the PCGS population for the 1925 penny in top grades?

As of July 2025, PCGS reports just one coin at MS68RD — the single finest known. NGC has four at MS67+RD. CAC has stickered 18 coins at MS67RD. Those numbers tell you how rare top-grade 1925 Philly cents really are, despite 140 million struck.

4. What is the all-time auction record for a 1925 wheat penny?

The highest confirmed sale is $74,750, achieved by a 1925-D MS66RD at Heritage Auctions in September 2009. The catalog noted only two MS-66 RD examples were known. For Philadelphia, the record is $15,172.88 for a PCGS MS67+RD CAC coin from the “Stewart Blay Red Copper Collection,” sold at GreatCollections in January 2023. The 1925-S record stands at $54,625 for an MS65RD example in May 2005.

5. Why are 1925-S pennies harder to find in good condition than 1925-D pennies?

Two things working against the 1925-S. First, San Francisco coins circulated heavily in rural western communities where they saw hard daily use. Second, the San Francisco Mint frequently produced weakly struck cents — Lincoln’s cheek and the wheat ear details are often soft even on technically uncirculated pieces. About 450 high-grade 1925-S pennies survive today, compared to roughly 1,750 for the 1925-D.

6. How do I identify the 1925-S DDO FS-101 doubled die error?

The 1925-S DDO FS-101 — cataloged in the Cherrypickers’ Guide to Rare Die Varieties — shows doubling most clearly on Lincoln’s eye area (look for an extra eyelid), the date numerals, and “LIBERTY” and “IN GOD WE TRUST.” Use at least 10x magnification. True doubled die doubling looks raised and shelf-like — three-dimensional under a loupe. Machine doubling looks flat, like a smear. No premium for that. If you’re unsure, submit to PCGS or NGC for authentication before assuming you’ve got the real thing.

7. Are there any additional 1925 penny errors beyond the DDO and RPM?

Plenty. Off-center strikes range from $5–$10 for minor examples up to $200–$500 for dramatic 50%+ off-center coins with a visible date. Grease-filled die errors bring $10–$150 depending on severity. Die cracks add $5–$50, while die cuds (raised blobs at the rim) can hit $30–$150. The holy grail would be a wrong-planchet error — a cent struck on a dime planchet — estimated at $500–$1,000 for confirmed examples.

8. Does the 1925 ODV-010 die type affect value?

Not directly. The ODV-010 die type — identified by the “Flat Foot to G of GOD” characteristic and the short-tailed “5” — applies to all 1925 Philadelphia cents struck between 1923 and 1929. It’s the standard die for the era, not a premium variety. Variety specialists use it for die attribution, though, and the short-tailed “5” helps confirm authenticity on high-grade slabbed coins.

9. What grade do I need for a 1925 penny to be worth serious money?

For Philadelphia examples, value stays modest through MS65 ($230–$250), then climbs at MS66RD ($400+), and jumps sharply at MS67RD ($800–$2,400). For the 1925-D, four- and five-figure territory starts at MS66RD. For the 1925-S, even MS64RD commands strong prices in the $1,000–$18,000 range, with MS65RD having sold for over $54,000. Below MS60, values across all three varieties stay low unless the coin carries a verified error.

10. What year is the most valuable penny ever sold at auction?

That honor belongs to a 1943 bronze cent — a transitional error struck on a leftover copper planchet when production had switched to steel. One sold in January 2021 for $840,000. It stands alone at the top of the market.