I’ve often seen collectors referring to the 1919 penny as a typical, low-value member of the Lincoln penny series. But what they may not know is that this penny also bears some rare errors and marks that can literally double or triple its price!
In fact, some of these 1919 pennies have been sold for as much as $20,000 – $30,000 for a high-mint state!
So, if you have an old 1919 Lincoln Penny, clean it and observe all the features I will tell you in this guide. Who knows, your 1919 Wheat Penny might fetch you a fortune!
Key Takeaways
Despite the high mintage, unique minting errors like a ‘repunched mintmark,’ ‘cracked die,’ and ‘off-center error’ make a 1919 Lincoln penny rare today!
The 1919 penny has a pure, 95% copper core with an alloyed zinc and tin top layer.
You’ll get the 1919 Lincoln Penny in three colors – Red, Reddish Brown, and brown, of which the red pennies have a higher grade and value, up to $550.
1919 Lincoln Pennies have two types of mint marks – ‘D’ & ‘S,’ which you can spot below the mint date on the obverse.
The History & Design Evolution of a 1919 Lincoln Penny
Despite being a continuation of the 1909 Wheat Penny, the 1919 Lincoln Penny (circulated till 1959) went through some design revisions as follows:
1908: The 26th U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt conceptualized a memorial penny to honor Sir Abraham Lincoln’s 100th Birthday. But since none of the American coins had portrayed a President’s cameo before, there was a lot of opposition.
1909: Lithuanian-born American engraver and sculptor Victor David Brenner designed a penny with a right-facing profile of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th US President. But, officials critiqued his design for minting his initials ‘VDB’ on the coins.
1910: The official mints removed the initials and revamped the reverse with a wheat stalk design.
1919: Over 392 million Lincoln coins, each with a fixed composition of 95% copper & 5% zinc and tin, were minted in Philadelphia. Later, even the Denver & San Francisco mints produced about 150 million Lincoln pennies!
1959: The Lincoln Wheat Penny faced much criticism for its outdated designs and was finally replaced by a similar Lincoln Memorial Penny.
1919 Lincoln Penny
Key Features
Material Composition
Bronze (95% Copper, 5% Tin & Zinc)
Minting Location
Philadelphia, Denver & San Francisco
Year of Minting
1919
Face Value
One-cent
Weight
3.11 grams
Diameter
19 mm
Thickness
1.52 mm
Designer
Victor David Brenner
Mint Marks
No Mint Mark (Philadelphia Mint),‘D-mint mark’ (Denver Mint),‘S-mint mark’ (San Francisco Mint)
Total Mintage (All Mints)
588,935,000 coins
Design Details on the 1919 Wheat Penny Coin
Now, let’s analyze the design features that President Roosevelt and the designer Victor Brenner finalized for the 1919 Lincoln Penny:
1. 1919 Penny Obverse (Heads) Design:
Designed by the US designer & engraver Victor Brenner, the obverse design of the 1919 penny has the following features:
The right-side profile of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th U.S. president, in the center
The phrase ‘IN GOD, WE TRUST,’ carved along the upper rim
The mint date ‘1919’ engraved in front of the President’s chest on the bottom right
The word ‘LIBERTY’ is inscribed on the left side of the obverse
