You can get about 10 months of Netflix, 200 packages of ramen, or two -
three oil changes, if you have a 1935 Lincoln Penny!
All of that for a single penny? Yes, that’s true!
If you have a high-grade 1935 Lincoln (wheat) penny, that you are one sale
short of a fortune. If it comes with an error, then that’s a treasure!
Let’s dive deeper into understanding the 1935 Wheat penny value, its
determinants, and history! With this article, you can facilitate the
optimal price for your coin by having strong negotiation points!
Key Takeaways
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You can get about 10 months of Netflix, 200 packages of ramen, or two -
three oil changes, if you have a 1935 Lincoln Penny!
All of that for a single penny? Yes, that’s true!
If you have a high-grade 1935 Lincoln (wheat) penny, that you are one sale
short of a fortune. If it comes with an error, then that’s a treasure!
Let’s dive deeper into understanding the 1935 Wheat penny value, its
determinants, and history! With this article, you can facilitate the
optimal price for your coin by having strong negotiation points!
Key Takeaways
-
The 1935 Lincoln (Wheat) penny value can range from $0.10 to $90 and
can go as high as $50,000.
-
The three main factors influencing the values are condition,
mintmarks, and errors.
-
The 1935 pennies were struck at Philadelphia, Denver, and San
Francisco facilities of the U.S. Mint.
-
There are three main errors with the pennies that fetch values ranging
from $8 to $80.
History of the 1935 Penny
The rather fascinating history of the 1935 Wheat penny is an incomplete
quest of Augustus Saint-Gaudens completed by Victor David Brenner.
Saint-Gaudens was commissioned with the redesign for four gold coins and
the cent. However, he passed away before submitting the designs for the
cent.
This task was undertaken by Brenner after the urges of President Franklin
Roosevelt for redesigns of the US coins. Thus, came into existence was the
Lincoln (wheat) penny commemorating President Abraham Lincoln’s centennial
birth anniversary.
The cent was named after the reverse design that depicted two wheat ears
that were a nation-wide symbol of abundance.
The Lincoln Penny or the Wheat Penny became a symbol of American coinage
being introduced in 1909 and minted until 1958, the year when the reverse
was changed.
Features of the 1935 Penny
It's necessary that you know the features of the 1935 Wheat penny for
authentication and personal knowledge.
Obverse
-
Abraham Lincoln’s effigy facing the right, wearing a suit with a bowtie.
-
Inscriptions of “IN GOD WE TRUST. LIBERTY. 1935” depicting the U.S.
motto, purpose, and year of issue.
Reverse
- Two wheat ears on either side, giving the coin its name.
-
The U.S. motto “E PLURIBUS UNUM” inscribed at the top, meaning “Out of
many, One.”
-
The denomination “ONE CENT” and country of issue “UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA” in the center.
Composition and Other Features
- Diameter: 19 mm
- Weight: 3.11 grams
- Composition: 95% Copper and 5% Tin and Zinc
- Edge: Plain (smooth)
1935 Penny Value by Condition
Condition is among the major determinants of the 1935 Lincoln (wheat)
penny value along with mintmark and errors. The condition corresponds with
the grading scale while being categorized into four types.
Here is a summarising table depicting the coin value based on condition:
|
1935 Lincoln Penny Value
|
|
Date
|
Condition of Coin
|
| Good |
Fine |
Extremely Fine
|
Uncirculated
|
| 1935 |
$0.06 |
$0.11 |
$0.20 |
$4 |
| 1935 D |
$0.08 |
$0.15 |
$0.43 |
$6 |
| 1935 S |
$0.08 |
$0.24 |
$0.45 |
$8 |
|
1935 Lincoln Penny Value Up-Dated
|
2025 |
Mint Marks and Rarity
Like the coin condition, the mintmarks on the pennies also play a
significant role in influencing the coin value. The 1935 wheat penny was
struck at three
US Mint
facilities: Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco.
The wheat pennies are possible to find in brown, red-brown, and red
varieties in most grades. The mint mark on the pennies are engraved on the
obverse under the year imprint.
1) 1935 (No Mint Mark) – Philadelphia Mint.
The 1935 Wheat pennies that lack the minmark are minted in the
Philadelphia Mint. A total number of 245,388,000 pennies were struck
here. Due to such a high mintage, these coins are widely available
despite being old.
A circulated brown coin would fetch values from $0.05 to $2, while
circulated pennies could go from $15 to $25 for higher grades.
Furthermore, the fully red coins with grades as high as MS68 can fetch
up to $8,000.
In 2022, a no-mint mark 1935 wheat penny was sold at a staggering
$55,813 at the Legend Rare Coins Auctions.
2) 1935-D – Denver Mint.
The D mint mark is engraved on the pennies that are struck at the
Denver facility of the US Mint. A total number of 47,000,000 pennies
were struck here, where many pennies were not-well struck since the
mint still used old dies. Similar to the Philadelphia minted coins,
high mintage lowers the brand value.
The 1935-D wheat pennies in brown shade are worth from $0.10 to $2.75
in circulated condition. The uncirculated coins start their valuation
from $50 for the MS65 grade, but the value shoots up for MS68 grade
priced at $13,000.
3) 1935-S – San Francisco Mint.
The 1935-S mint mark pennies are struck at San Francisco with mintage
of 38,702,000, the lowest of the three. The San Francisco minted
pennies are pretty common and available in all grades. It's ideal if
you find a penny in pristine condition, for higher prices.
Circulated condition 1935-S Lincoln pennies are valued from $0.10 to
$6.50, while the uncirculated coins can go up to $90 (this will get
you your Netflix!) For higher grades like MS67, the 1935 wheat penny
value at be at least $7,500.
Rare Errors and Varieties
Now that conditions and mintmark are done, the third deciding component of
the 1935 Lincoln penny value is Error. Errors are simply the manufacturing
defects from the mints that increase the value instead of devaluing it.
Here are the top 3 errors of the penny that matter:
1) Double Die Obverse (DDO)
The double die error as the moniker, is an error that depicts double
imprinted designs by the same working die. This error can occur on the
obverse or the reverse. This particular error - Double Die Obverse, is
on the obverse visible around Lincoln’s beard, date, and the motto.
The 1935 wheat penny with this error can fetch values up to $80, but
can increase depending on condition and mintmark.
2) Off-center Strikes
Off center errors are the errors where the planchet and striking die
are misaligned. As a result, the design is off struck leaving a part
of the coin blank. The off-center is measured by the percentage such
as 10% off-center, or 50% off-center.
This error is quite popular among collectors as it is pretty uncommon.
The 1935 Wheat penny with an off-center error can fetch up to $50.
3) Repunched Mint Marks (RPM)
The repunched mint mark is a variant error of the repunched errors which
can also include repunched dates. This error originated in the pre-1990s,
since the mint marks were individually punched on the die by hand. This
led to humanely misalignment with each mint mark, and were resolved with a
repunch.
This error is also quite popular among collectors in the Lincoln penny
series that fetch values from $3 to as high as $10. This value will
increase if the coin is in pristine condition.
How to Determine Authenticity
Determining the authenticity of the 1935 Lincoln penny includes knowing
about the correspondence of grading scale and the conditions. The grading
scale is a scale developed by globally renowned coin grading services like
Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) and Professional Coin Grading Service
(PCGS).
This table below will help you:
| 1 |
Basal State - 1 |
| 2 |
Fair |
| 3 |
Very Fair |
| 4, 5, 6 |
Good (G) |
| 7, 8, 10 |
Very Good (VG) |
| 12, 15 |
Fine (F) |
| 20, 30 |
Very Fine (VF) |
| 40 |
Extremely Fine (XF) |
| 50 |
About Uncirculated (AU) |
| 60 |
Mint State (MS) / Uncirculated (BU) |
| 65 |
Mint State (MS) / Uncirculated (BU) |
| 70 |
Mint State (MS) / Uncirculated (BU) |
Conclusion
Well, that’s everything about the 1935 Lincoln (wheat) penny you need to
know to find the optimal prices for the penny. If you happen to find a
Lincoln penny in your attic or your grandparents house, then your
fortune is a few steps away.
Now with this article, you can negotiate for the prices for the penny
instead of wondering is this penny even worth something! To sell this
coin, you can explore local buyers, or online auctions for better
prices. It's recommended to get your penny appraised from the coin
grading service.
The US Mint has produced such coins repeatedly throughout history such
as the Morgan silver dollars, Gold Buffalos, etc. Explore BOLD for more
such coins at very competitive prices!
