In 1909, to honor the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, the United States Mint began the production of the Lincoln Wheat penny. Designed by Victor David Brenner, the Lincoln Wheat penny was a triumph in coin design and was widely acclaimed and collected right out of the gate. As its predecessor before it, the Lincoln Wheat penny weighs 3.11 grams and was made of 95% pure copper, with the rest of the composition comprising of tin and zinc. The Lincoln Wheat penny was produced for 50 years until the new design of the Lincoln Memorial penny took shape. In those fifty years of the Lincoln Wheat penny, the design only shifted in minute ways, most of which centered around where to put the designers initials.
In 1943, however, to aid in America’s war effort in Europe and the Pacific, the composition of the Lincoln Wheat penny changed to zinc coated steel. This is because the copper normally used to produce the Lincoln Wheat penny was diverted to create shell casings and other essential war materials. In the first year of production, there were two distinct varieties produced of the Lincoln Wheat penny. The first Lincoln Wheat penny, in 1909, had Victor David Brenner’s initials on the reverse of the coin at the bottom center, and the second Lincoln Wheat penny was made without those initials. This is key because this variation can command a significant difference when pricing the collector value of each coin type.
Generally, the V.D.B. issue from the Philadelphia mint commands more of a premium than those without the V.D.B. and the Lincoln Wheat penny which came out of the San Francisco mint without the V.D.B. can command more of a premium than that of the Philadelphia types with the V.D.B. present. The San Francisco mint version with the V.D.B. is the most sought after of all of the 1909 coins of the Lincoln Wheat penny series.
There are a few other key dates in the Lincoln Wheat penny series, but all of them are going to be from 1931 or earlier. Most of the rest of the Lincoln wheat penny series usually trades on the open market for twice their face value, depending upon condition of the coins. If you have a Lincoln wheat penny collection and are interested in have them evaluated at no cost, or if you are looking to sell your Lincoln Wheat penny collection, just call or come in to any of the Nevada Coin & Jewelry locations in the greater Las Vegas area. Our coin experts are standing by to help you in determining the collector appeal and overall value to your Lincoln Wheat penny set.
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