Top 100 Most Valuable Pennies Coin Worth Money List (1959 – Present)

Did you know modern pennies in your pocket could be worth thousands? A 1992 Close AM sold for $25,850, a 1963 DCAM hit $40,250, and a 1999 penny stunned collectors at $138,000.

Welcome to the ultimate guide of the Most Valuable Pennies Coin Worth Money, focused on Lincoln Memorial (1959–2008) and Shield pennies (2009–present)—coins you might find in circulation today. Updated monthly with current market values, this chart reveals what makes pennies valuable: minting errors, transitional varieties, and superb condition.

Looking for rare pennies from other years?

• Auto Coin Appraisal Tool: Best Coin Identifier App
• (1909-1958): Top 100 Most Valuable Wheat Pennies Worth Money
• (1859 – 1909): Top 100 Most Valuable Indian Head Pennies Worth Money
• Even Older?: The Rarest Pennies In the US From 1787
• Misprint Penny: Penny Errors List with Pictures

 

Most Valuable Lincoln Pennies Worth Money Chart

Important Note: All coin values come from REAL sales tracked across Heritage Auctions, Stack’s Bowers, GreatCollections, and other major platforms. Unlike guides that claim fantasy “coin values” in the millions, we only report verified transactions. Every price listed represents the highest confirmed sale ever recorded for that variety. A coin is worth what someone actually paid for it—not what someone hopes it’s worth.

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Most Valuable Penny Worth Money

1. The Ultimate Impossibility: 1999 Lincoln Cent/Roosevelt Dime Mule

Record Price: $138,000 (PCGS MS66 Red, Heritage Auctions 2006)

This is the coin that shouldn’t exist. The most expensive modern Lincoln cent ever sold, this 1999 mule was struck when a Lincoln cent obverse die was somehow paired with a Roosevelt dime reverse die at the Philadelphia Mint—two dies that belong in completely different production lines, on completely different presses.

The story behind its discovery is almost too good. A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania was sorting through a bank roll of 1999 cents and flipped one over to find not the Lincoln Memorial, but Roosevelt’s torch, olive branch, and oak branch. The coin passed through Dempsey & Baxter jewelry store before ending up with a serious error collector.

To put the rarity in perspective: by November 2003, only seven double-denomination mules had ever been certified across all U.S. coinage. Not seven 1999 pennies—seven mules total, any denomination, in the entire history of American coins. That makes this rarer than the 1943 copper penny coin, rarer than the 1944 steel penny coin, rarer than virtually any modern error on the market.

On the technical side, the slightly smaller dime reverse die produced bold striking on that face while causing minor peripheral weakness on Lincoln’s side—the physics of the strike itself telling the story of two incompatible dies forced together.

What’s especially striking is the timing. Modern security measures and computerized die tracking were supposed to make mules a thing of the past. Yet this slipped through. Coin World and Numismatic News ran extensive coverage; even Jay W. Johnson, the Mint Director when this piece was struck, signed promotional materials acknowledging the error.

Will you find another mule? Almost certainly not. But this coin stands as proof that the Mint can still surprise everyone.

Check 1999 Penny Coin Value, History, Variety Price Chart & Errors List

 

2. The San Francisco Sensation: 1969-S Doubled Die Obverse Penny

Record Price: $126,500 (PCGS MS-64 Red, Heritage Auctions 2008)

The most legendary doubled die in Lincoln Memorial history, and the second most valuable modern Lincoln cent ever sold. Fewer than 100 examples are believed to exist—some experts put the number closer to 40.

Collector Michael Tremonti pulled this exact coin from an unsearched roll in 2007. PCGS had it transported in a Brinks armored truck for certification. The doubling on “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and the date is visible to the naked eye—you can see open space between the doubled characters without any magnification.

The 1969-S DDO has a wild history with counterfeiters. So many fakes flooded the market that the Secret Service got involved, and during their sweeps they accidentally destroyed some genuine examples too. The authentic population, already tiny, got even smaller.

Even heavily worn examples bring $10,000 and up. Mint state coins routinely clear $35,000. One unemployed woman found a 1969-S DDO in her pocket change in 1995 and sold it for $3,500—a few months of rent from a single cent.

Every 1969-S penny is worth a second look.

Check 1969 Penny Coin Value, History, Variety Price Chart & Errors List

 

3. The Proof Perfection: 1963 Proof Deep Cameo Penny

Record Price: $40,250 (PCGS PR70 DCAM, Heritage Auctions 2004)

Out of roughly 3 million proof pennies struck in 1963, this is the one that came out flawless—a perfect PR70 Deep Cameo. The Deep Cameo designation means Lincoln’s portrait has a stark frosty white appearance set against mirror-black fields. In the 1960s, achieving that level of contrast was extremely difficult; only early strikes from freshly polished dies could produce it, and the surfaces had to survive decades without a single blemish.

The price cliff around this grade is staggering. One step down at PR69 DCAM, you’re looking at roughly $270. That’s a $39,980 gap for a single grading point—the numismatic equivalent of the difference between a D-flawless diamond and a VVS1.

Regular 1963 proof pennies in lower grades trade for $6 to $140. But that perfect PR70 DCAM occupies a category of its own.

Check 1963 Penny Coin Value, History, Variety Price Chart & Errors List

 

4. The Overlooked Rarity: 1970-S Doubled Die Obverse Large Date Penny

Record Price: $38,400 (PCGS MS66+ Red, Heritage Auctions 2024)

This San Francisco mint error has lived in the shadow of the 1969-S DDO for decades, despite being arguably rarer—only about 50 examples are known to exist. That imbalance is finally correcting itself, as this recent record sale shows.

The doubling is unmistakable without magnification. “In God We Trust” and “Liberty” show dramatic separation; the date is doubled too, though less prominently. One important distinction: this is the FS-101 variety (formerly FS-029). The other 1970-S Large Date DDO, cataloged as FS-103 (formerly FS-030.1), shows only minor doubling on the 0 of the date and is worth a fraction of the price. Don’t confuse the two.

The survival pattern is telling. Most known examples are in mint state, and at least half display full red surfaces, which suggests that sharp-eyed collectors spotted and saved these coins early on. Brown examples—circulated or uncirculated—probably number fewer than 10 in all grades.

Price history reflects growing recognition. An MS66 Red brought $24,150 back in 2001 but had drifted down to $18,000 by 2022. This new $38,400 record for an MS66+ shows that the plus designation and renewed collector attention can push values well past previous ceilings.

Check 1970 Penny Coin Value, History, Variety Price Chart & Errors List

 

5. The Modern Marvel: 1992 Close AM Penny

Record Price: $25,850 (PCGS MS67 Red, Heritage Auctions 2017)

A modern error that went undetected for over a decade. The Mint had planned to move the letters “A” and “M” in “AMERICA” closer together starting in 1993 as part of minor design modifications. Somehow, the 1993-style reverse dies ended up being used on both Philadelphia and Denver pennies in 1992.

Identification is straightforward. Flip your 1992 penny and look at the base of “AMERICA.” On normal examples, there’s a visible gap between the A and M (Wide AM). On the valuable variety, the two letters nearly touch. No magnifying glass required.

PCGS has graded fewer than 20 Philadelphia examples across all grades and color designations. The Denver version is slightly more common at 75 graded specimens, but still commands serious money—a 1992-D Close AM in MS64 brought $20,700 in 2012. Even an MS61 sold for $1,703.75 in 2017, and circulated Denver examples routinely pull in hundreds.

Since this variety wasn’t identified until well into the 2000s, it’s entirely plausible that examples are still sitting in jars, drawers, and piggy banks across the country. If you have 1992 pennies lying around, they’re worth checking.

Check 1992 Penny Coin Value, History, Variety Price Chart & Errors List

 

6. The Missing Mintmark Marvel: 1990 No S Proof Penny

Record Price: $9,988 (PCGS PR60 DCAM, Stack’s Bowers 2013)

A PR60—the lowest grade that qualifies as collectible proof territory—and it still brought nearly $10,000. That tells you everything about how rare the 1990 No S penny is.

The error happened because a Mint worker processed a die intended for business strikes as a proof die, then shipped it to San Francisco mixed in with properly prepared dies. Nobody caught the mistake until several hundred coins had already been struck. By the mid-1980s, the Mint had supposedly fixed this by punching mintmarks into master dies. Evidently, that safeguard had a gap.

Fewer than 200 examples are known. It remains the only proof coin in the entire Lincoln cent series from 1909 to 2009 that’s missing its mintmark. After more than 20 years of searching, the population estimate hasn’t budged—no new hoards have surfaced.

One Florida collector found his by accident. He’d bought mixed proof sets 25 years earlier and stored them in a box marked “1996 proof sets.” When he finally opened it, he found mixed dates inside—including a 1990 with no S. “My heart stopped,” he said. “I could not believe this could be still found.”

Values range widely by condition: this PR60 brought $9,988, while the record stands at $20,700 for a PR69 DCAM. Even damaged examples sell for $3,200 and up. With fewer than 200 known, rarity matters more than grade here.

Check 1990 Penny Coin Value, History, Variety Price Chart & Errors List

 

7. The Inaugural Beauty: 1959 Proof Deep Cameo Penny

Record Price: $20,700 (PCGS PR69 DCAM, Heritage Auctions 2004)

The first year of the Lincoln Memorial design, and one of the hardest issues to find in Deep Cameo. The 1959 proof marks the moment American coinage retired the wheat stalks after 50 years and debuted Frank Gasparro’s iconic Memorial reverse. Combine that historical weight with near-perfect surfaces and you get a five-figure coin.

In Deep Cameo condition, the 1959 Proof Lincoln cent is genuinely scarce. The best estimates put the total population at 175 to 225 examples across all grades. PCGS has never graded one higher than PR69, meaning this $20,700 specimen sits at the absolute ceiling for the issue. Drop one point to PR68 DCAM and the price falls to around $372—a $20,000 premium for that final grade step.

The Philadelphia Mint produced only 1,149,291 proof pennies in 1959, tied with 1960 for the lowest proof mintage in the entire Memorial series. Most early strikes simply lacked the contrast needed for a Deep Cameo designation. You won’t find these in circulation, but estate sales and old proof sets still occasionally turn one up.

Check 1959 Penny Coin Value, History, Variety Price Chart & Errors List

 

8. The Condition Rarity Champion: 1960-D Large Date Lincoln Penny

Record Price: $20,000 (NGC MS67 Red, eBay 2018)

Over 1.58 billion 1960-D cents were struck during the national coin shortage crisis, which meant the Denver Mint was prioritizing volume over quality control. The result: finding a 1960-D Large Date in MS66 or higher is genuinely difficult. At MS67, roughly 15 are known, with nothing finer. Fifteen coins out of 1.58 billion is a survival rate that rivals many famous key dates.

This particular MS67 Red brought $20,000—about 42 times the $280–$475 that typical MS67 examples trade for. That premium reflects what happens when you have a coin with blazing red surfaces, a sharp strike, and no distracting marks competing in a population of 15.

Telling the Large Date from the Small Date is simple: on the Large Date, the top of the 9 sits noticeably higher than the 1, and the 6 is visibly larger compared to the Small Date variety.

The broader lesson here is worth noting. Most collectors focus on famous dates and dramatic errors, but the 1960-D Large Date shows that condition rarity from a massive mintage can produce values just as extreme. When the finest known examples of anything number in the low teens, prices stop following normal rules.

Check 1960 Penny Coin Value History, Variety Price Chart & Errors List

 

9. The Mystery Mint Marvel: 1964 Special Mint Set (SMS) Penny

Record Price: $19,200 (PCGS SP67 Red, Heritage Auctions 2025)

These coins weren’t supposed to exist, and nobody is entirely sure how they came to be. Speculation has long centered on Mint Director Eva Adams or another Mint employee as the source. After Adams died in 1991, New York dealer Lester Merkin reportedly purchased sets from her estate, and they entered the market through Stack’s starting in 1993.

The finish is distinctive—a smooth, satin-like surface that’s neither business strike nor proof, but something in between. Experienced collectors can spot it across a room. Total mintage is estimated at just 15 to 50 sets for all denominations combined, and the certified population for Lincoln cents stands at 33 (including Red and Red and Brown designations) between both major grading services.

The market reflects the mystique. A complete five-piece 1964 SMS set brought $151,200 in 2019. Individual pennies in lower grades have sold for $9,000 to $15,600. This SP67 Red at $19,200 represents near-perfection for an issue where the entire known population fits in a single small box.

Unless you stumble on a previously unknown stash, the auction block is the only realistic path to ownership—and competition tends to be fierce.

Check 1964 Penny Coin Value, History, Variety Price Chart & Errors List

 

10. The Registry King: 1971-S Proof Deep Cameo Lincoln Penny

Record Sale: Heritage Auctions 2004 (PCGS PR69 Deep Cameo)

From the John Troy #1 PCGS Registry Set—a collection assembled specifically to hold the finest available example of every issue. Only about 25% of all 1971-S proof cents submitted to PCGS have earned the Deep Cameo designation, and the service has certified just 10 examples at PR69 from a total proof population of roughly 2,000 coins.

At the time of sale, this specimen was one of only 4 at PR69 Deep Cameo with none graded higher—tied for the absolute finest known. Heritage’s catalog described it as “a heavily frosted, pinkish-gold specimen that would be difficult to exceed in the eye appeal category and currently impossible to exceed in technical grade.”

The 1971-S comes from a transitional period when San Francisco was producing cents in both proof and circulation-strike format (1968–1974), switching to proof-only starting in 1975. That era produced some of the most difficult proof cents to find in pristine Deep Cameo condition.

Ten coins out of 2,000 submissions at the top grade works out to a 0.5% survival rate. Most old proof sets have been picked through by now, but the scarcity of true Deep Cameo examples means an overlooked treasure in original government packaging isn’t impossible.

Check 1971 Penny Coin Value, History, Variety Price Chart & Errors List

 

Summary

From the $138,000 1999 mule to flawless proof Deep Cameos, this list shows how modern Lincoln pennies from 1959 onward have gone from pocket change to five- and six-figure collectibles through rare errors, condition extremes, and mysterious origins. Many of these varieties weren’t even identified until years after they entered circulation—and some may still be sitting in forgotten collections, waiting for someone to flip them over and look closely.