1979 Penny Value (Errors List, “D”, “S” & No Mint Mark Worth)

The 1979 penny stands among the later years of 95% copper cents before rising metal prices forced the U.S. Mint to abandon copper-dominant composition in mid-1982.

During the early 1970s, copper prices had risen to the point where cents contained almost one cent’s worth of copper, creating economic pressure that ultimately led to the composition change.

By 1979, collectors were beginning to recognize these copper pennies as the end of an era in American coinage. Most examples remain affordable with circulated coins near face value, while MS specimens reach $11.50 to $16.91 and Deep Cameo proofs range from $6.33 to $8.44.

 

1979 Penny Value By Variety

The 1979 penny’s value varies dramatically depending on mint mark and condition, with some varieties worth hundreds of times their face value while others remain at one cent.

If you know the grade of your coin, you can find the exact price below in the Value Guides section.

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

 

Top 10 Most Valuable 1979 Penny Worth Money

This chart reveals the remarkable value spectrum of 1979 pennies, with the highest-grade specimens commanding thousands of dollars at auction.

The 1979 RD 68 leads the pack at $5,463, followed by the 1979-D RD 67 at $3,995, demonstrating how condition dramatically impacts value. Proof varieties also show strong performance, with the 1979-S Type 2 DCAM 70 reaching $3,819 and the Type 1 DCAM 70 achieving $3,450.

Interestingly, Type 2 proof varieties appear to out value Type 1 varieties in the highest PR70 grade, though this reverses in lower grades like PR69 where Type 1 commands $57 versus Type 2’s $45. These values span from 2000 to present, showing sustained collector interest in premium-quality 1979 pennies.

While 1979 pennies offer impressive returns in top grades, they represent just a fraction of valuable Lincoln cents available to collectors.

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

 

History Of The 1979 Penny

The 1979 penny holds significant historical importance as one of the final generations of true copper pennies in American coinage. Minted during a transitional period in U.S. monetary history, these Lincoln Memorial cents contained 95% copper and 5% zinc.

The 1979 penny featured the familiar Lincoln portrait on the obverse, designed by Victor David Brenner in 1909, and the Lincoln Memorial reverse that had been in use since 1959.

The U.S. Mint produced over 6 billion pennies at Philadelphia, 4.1 billion at Denver, and 3.6 million proof specimens at San Francisco. This massive production reflected the nation’s growing economy and the penny’s essential role in daily commerce.

As copper prices soared in the early 1980s, the 1979 penny represented the end of an era.

These coins now serve as both historical artifacts and tangible reminders of America’s copper coinage tradition, making them increasingly valuable to collectors and investors alike.

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

 

Is Your 1979 Penny Rare?

Check our CoinValueChecker App for instant rarity assessments and current market values of your 1979 Lincoln cents.

 

Key Features Of The 1979 Penny

Let’s talk technical terms. A coin has three sides. The heads is the obverse. The tails of the reverse. The thin side is the edge, sometimes embellished with ridges called reeds, and often framed in a raised border called a rim or collar.

The words on a coin are called legends or mottos and the images are called devices. The background is the field. Now for the features.

The Obverse Of The 1979 Penny

It shows Abraham Lincoln, the 16th US President. He’s facing right with the motto In God We Trust above his head and the legend Liberty behind his back. The mint date is in front of his chest with the mint mark below it. His shoulder cut-off has VDB for Victor David Brenner.

The Reverse Of The 1979 Penny

It shows the Lincoln Memorial Building and you can see his statue through the two middle columns. The top of the coin says United States of America with E Pluribus Unum under it. The bottom of the coin says One Dollar. The mid-right corner says FG for Frank Gasparro.

Other Features Of The 1979 Penny

This coin has a smooth or plain edge, which means it has no reeds. It’s 19.05mm in diameter (0.75”) and weighs 3.11g. It’s made of 95% copper and 5% zinc.

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

 

1979 Penny Mintage & Survival Data

In the 1970s, copper prices started shooting up as well. At the time, the penny was the mint’s most profitable coin, but the spot price pushed its face value (i.e. its denomination) higher than its melt value.

This created an unprecedented situation where the fluctuating price of copper periodically caused penny shortages, as people hoarded them for their perceived metallic value.

The 20% survival rate for both Philadelphia and Denver mint coins reflects this hoarding behavior. People are beginning to hoard copper pennies in the opportunistic pursuit of someday cashing in on the coins’ intrinsic value.

However, the survival rate of DCAM is much lower than we thought. Only one Type 1 DCAM survives despite nearly 4 million minted – shows how collectors focused on circulation strikes with intrinsic value rather than traditional numismatic pieces.

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

 

The Easy Way to Know Your 1979 Penny Value

1979 proof series features two distinct types—Type 1 with a filled S mint mark and Type 2 with a clear S—creating important collecting distinctions. Valuable errors include doubled dies, repunched mint marks, and BIE varieties that can be worth significantly more.

Proper authentication requires distinguishing genuine doubled dies from common machine doubling, identifying proof types, and evaluating copper color retention—technical assessments that challenge even experienced collectors.

CoinValueChecker App eliminates uncertainty. Photograph your penny and receive instant analysis of mint marks, proof types, error varieties, and accurate valuations.

 

1979 Penny Value Guides

1979 Penny Varieties:

• 1979 No Mint Mark Penny– Philadelphia
• 1979-D Penny– Denver Mint
• 1979-S Type 1 DCAM Penny– San Francisco
• 1979-S Type 2 DCAM Penny– San Francisco

The 1979 penny series represents a fascinating study in mint mark variations and production techniques. The 1979 Proof Penny was minted in two styles based on the mint mark, creating distinct collectible varieties.

The Type 1 has a strongly pointed top when compared to a flat top of the 1981. The Type 2 has rather bulbous serifs in comparison to the Type 1, making identification crucial for accurate valuation.

While circulation strikes from Philadelphia and Denver dominate the market, the San Francisco proof varieties offer premium collecting opportunities, with Type II proofs can be slightly more valuable due to their relative scarcity and superior strike quality.

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

 

1979 No Mint Mark Penny Value

The 1979 No Mint Mark Penny represents one of the final pure copper composition Lincoln pennies before the 1982 transition to zinc-plated copper.

The coin’s 95% copper content makes it worth approximately 2-3 cents in melt value alone, distinguishing it from modern zinc pennies.

Color designations significantly impact value: RD (Red) coins must exhibit at least 85% of original red luster, RB (Red-Brown) must show at least 15% original red luster, while BN (Brown) displays less than 15% original red color.

Red Pennies do a lot better though. An MS 68 RD sold for $5,463 in 2012 compared to an MS 61 BN sold for $207, demonstrating the substantial premium for preserved copper luster.

The coin achieved recognition in numismatic circles for representing the end of an era in American coinage composition.

The auction record chart below illustrates the pricing trends for 1979 No Mint Mark Pennies across different grades and conditions over time.

Additionally, the market activity demonstrates the current collector interest.

 

1979-D Penny Value

The 1979-D Penny is a Lincoln Memorial cent produced at the Denver Mint, identifiable by the “D” mint mark positioned below the date on the obverse.

This coin represents one of the last pure copper pennies before the composition change to copper-plated zinc in 1982. The 1979-D penny gained collector attention alongside other coins from that year due to the popularity of the newly introduced Susan B. Anthony Dollar in 1979.

Professional grading services recognize this coin’s potential value in high grades, with the highest known grade being MS 67+ RD, which sold for $3,995 in April 2016 with only two examples known to exist.

BN and RB Standard circulated examples hold low value,  an MS 66 BN sold for $406 in October 2019, while an AU 58 RB sold for $112 in December 2019. 

The auction record chart demonstrates the performance trajectory of this Denver-minted penny across various condition grades over the past decades.

Market activity remains consistent with steady collector interest, particularly focused on high-grade specimens and error varieties.

 

1979-S Type 1 DCAM Penny Value

The 1979-S Type 1 DCAM Penny is a Deep Cameo proof Lincoln Memorial cent struck at the San Francisco Mint. The Type 1 variety exhibits a blobby-looking S mintmark and is a common type of 1979-S proof Lincoln cent. Part of the total mintage of 3,677,175 proof pennies, most were Type 1 varieties with the filled S mintmark.

By 1979, proof pennies had moved into the modern age with frosted devices created using computerized lasers instead of acid pickling, and because lasers don’t fade, most 1979 pennies achieved Deep Cameo designation with maximum contrast between mirror fields and frosted parts.

The dies were scrubbed with horsehair for highly reflective polish while blanks were burnished in stainless steel balls before striking.  A PR70 1979-S Type 1 DCAM Penny example achieved $10,925 at auction in 2003.

The auction record chart below tracks the performance of 1979-S Type 1 DCAM pennies across various grades and time periods.

Current market activity reveals the ongoing collector demand and trading patterns for this proof variety.

 

1979-S Type 2 DCAM Penny Value

The 1979-S Type 2 DCAM Penny is a Deep Cameo proof Lincoln Memorial cent. In 1979, the United States Mint improved the clarity of the “S” mintmark on its proof coins, with the older punch rendering blobby-looking “S” mintmarks that were hardly distinguishable.

The Type 2 mintmark shows a clear spine with more well defined serifs, with only minor filling of the space between the ends of the letter and its middle, and two clear holes reveal the field within the top and bottom of the character.

At lower grades, the two are priced similarly, with little difference. However, at the highest grade, PR70 DCAM, the Type 1 is actually more expensive than the Type 2, with the Type 1 priced at $2,750 and the Type 2 at $1,350.

This contradicts the common belief that the Type 2 is rarer, primarily because the Type 1 is more difficult to preserve in perfect condition.

The auction record chart below details the historical performance of 1979-S Type 2 DCAM pennies across different grades and market periods.

Market activity indicators demonstrate the sustained collector interest and current trading dynamics for this scarcer proof variety.

1979-S Type 2 DCAM Penny (FS-501) Value

The 1979-S Type 2 DCAM Penny (FS-501) is a Deep Cameo proof Lincoln Memorial cent distinguished by its Fivaz-Stanton numbering designation.

The “FS” numbers are assigned by Bill Fivaz and J.T. Stanton as found in The Cherrypickers’ Guide to Rare Die Varieties, which catalogs significant die varieties and mintmark variations.

The FS-501 designation specifically identifies this coin’s Type 2 mintmark variety within the Cherrypickers’ Guide classification system. The Clear-S and Filled-S varieties comprise FS-501.

This systematic cataloging allows collectors and grading services to precisely identify and authenticate the Type 2 mintmark variety among 1979-S proof cents.

The FS-501 designation confirms the coin’s recognition in the standard reference work for die varieties, establishing its legitimacy as a collectible variety distinct from the more common Type 1.

Market activity data reflects the ongoing collector demand and trading patterns for this Cherrypickers’ Guide recognized variety.

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

 

Rare 1979 Penny Error List

Pennies are tiny and populous so they’re often struck with blanks from other denominations. It’s the most common error on pennies. You can also find doubled-eye or doubled-ear errors on Lincoln Cents. All these mint mistakes can raise the resale value of a coin, so let’s explore!

1. Cud Die Break

Steel dies are really expensive to make, so the mint uses them as long as possible. Towards the end of their viability, they develop cracks and gashes that they transfer onto the coins they make.

These are called die breaks or cud breaks, and they can add some value to your coin. Here, the cud is on the lower right, and in MS 64 BN, the mint mistake sold for $1,020.

2. Struck Thru Fragment Cap Die

When something gets between the die and the blank, that’s called a struck thru error. But some types of strike-through are special.

For example, if a blank clings to the die after striking and blocks the next coin design, this is called a die cap. The hidden coin is called a brockage error, and the result is a marred or missing imprint. In AU 55, this sold for $1,200.

3. Deep Obverse Die Cap

We’ve just explained die caps, so here’s a more dramatic example. The previous coin had a fragment die cap so only part of the image was distorted.

In this case, the upper coin blocked the obverse die so the coin got deeply cupped and ended up with no reverse design. Similarly the brockage coin below it probably had no heads side! In MS 64 RD, the die cap was $329.

4. Struck on a Dime Planchet

As we said earlier, a coin might be struck on a planchet that was intended for a different face value. In this case, the penny was struck on a 10c blank.

They’re slightly smaller at 17.91mm vs the 19.05mm of a penny. And dimes have a silver shade, so it’s easy to spot this error. Plus it weighs less, at 2.3g instead of 3.11g. In MS 64, this wrong planchet error sold for $1,260.

5. Off-Center with Triple Curved Clip Error

Planchets come to the mint in sheet form. The sheet goes into the blanking machine and is punched into discs of the right size, leaving a remnant full of holes.

But this leftover metal is sometimes struck too, and it produces coins with curved or straight clips in the spots next to the holes. This elliptical example has three curved clips on it, and in MS 64 RB it was $129.

6. Strike Through Error

We’ve talked about coin blockages and brockages. But the obstruction isn’t always an earlier coin. It might be a metal fragment from the leftover planchet sheet, a loose staple, or even a piece of tape.

On this coin, a slim flap of fabric left a textured strip that cuts across the coin from just under ‘In’ and over the ‘ER’ in ‘Liberty’. In MS 60 RD, the error coin sold for $111.

7. Double Struck Off-Center Error

To make sure the design comes out clearly, every coin is struck at least twice unless it’s a special mint set. But if the planchet moves around between strikes, you may end up with overlapping images that are sometimes misaligned.

This mint mistake might also change the shape of the coin. Here, it’s 25% and 85% off-center so in MS 66 RB, the coin sold for $312.

8. Indent Errors

An indent is when a foreign object leaves its stencil on the surface of the coin. Sometimes, the pressure of the contaminant is so strong that it cracks and deforms the blank as well.

A coin that was 25% off-center and had double indents sold for $169. A second coin graded MS 64 RB with similar errors (obverse indent made with off-center overlap strike) sold for $234.

9. Saddle Triple Strike Error

Multi-strike errors can happen in various ways. We’ve already looked at some off-center examples where the planchet turns between strikes, positioning the overlapped imprints at various angles.

Other times, the blank was partially outside its central location so the design gets cut-off, repeated, and deformed. This triple saddle strike in MS 64 RB sold for $300.

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

 

Where To Sell Your 1979 Penny?

Looking to sell your valuable coins? I’ve researched the top online platforms for you, analyzing each site’s features, advantages, and drawbacks to help you choose the best marketplace for your collection.

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

 

1979 Penny Market Trend

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

 

FAQ About The 1979 Penny

Is a 1979 Penny Made of Copper?

Yes. Apart from War Pennies aka Steelies, all American Pennies have copper in them. The difference is the amount. The earliest pennies were pure copper and were much larger than they are today – 28.5mm. From 1909 to 1982 (excluding the Steel Pennies of 1943 and 1944) they had 95% copper. After that, they only had a 2.5% Copper coating while the rest was zinc.