1942 s penny how much is it worth

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The 1942 wheat pennies have value as numismatic coins. Keep reading to learn more about these one cent coins.

1942 s penny how much is it worth

Specifications

Type: Wheat Penny
Year: 1942
Face Value: $0.01
Composition: 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc
Total Weight: 3.11 grams

The US minted the 1942 wheat penny with no mint mark and also the 1942 D wheat penny and 1942 S wheat penny. The mint mark, when present, can be found on the obverse side of the coin below the date.

SeriesLocationQuantity Minted
1942 Philadelphia 657,796,000
1942 D Denver 206,698,000
1942 S San Francisco 85,590,000

Value

The 1942 wheat penny with no mint mark and the 1942 D wheat penny have similar values. Each coin is worth around $0.15 in good condition. In very fine condition the value is around $0.25. In extremely fine condition the value is around $0.50. In uncirculated condition the price is around $1 for coins with an MS 60 grade. Uncirculated coins with a grade of MS 63 can sell for around $2.

The 1942 S wheat penny is worth around $0.25 in good condition. In very fine condition the value is around $0.85. In extremely fine condition the value is around $1.25. In uncirculated condition the price is around $7 for coins with an MS 60 grade. Uncirculated coins with a grade of MS 63 can sell for around $8.

Proof coins with no mint mark are available and they are each valued at around $40 in PR 63 condition. There were 32,600 proof coins minted.

Click here to search for wheat pennies on Amazon.

Grading System

Good- The date is worn but visible. The lines in the wheat heads are not visible. The rims on the coin are full.

Very fine- Lincoln's jawbone and cheekbone are worn but still separated. The wheat heads are not worn.

Extremely fine- There is only slight wear on the coin. All of the details are sharp.

MS 60 uncirculated- There are no signs of wear. The coin has luster, but there may be a few stains, abrasions, or surface marks.

MS 63 choice uncirculated- In the major focal areas there are some blemishes or contact marks. The coin's luster might not be as prominent.

PR 63 proof- This coin has reflective surfaces and only a few blemishes away from the major focal points. There are no major flaws.

 

Sources:

The Red Book

See also:

1943 Steel Penny
1941 Wheat Penny
1940 Wheat Penny

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Have a 1942 penny? Want to know its value?

1942 s penny how much is it worth

If you look through enough pocket change or penny rolls, you’re bound to find a 1942 penny worth more than face value on occasion.

Or, you might inherit some old coins from a loved one. An old coin collection could contain exceptional examples of 1942 pennies — even proof 1942 pennies!

Today, I’ll help you answer the following questions about 1942 pennies:

  • What’s the 1942 penny value today?
  • Is a 1942 wheat penny worth more than other pennies?
  • What’s the story behind the rare 1942 penny that was struck on the wrong coin blank?
  • What other 1942 pennies are considered rare?

Current 1942 Penny Value

Most 1942 pennies that you find in circulation are bound to be pretty well worn. Of the hundreds of millions of 1942 Lincoln cents that were made by the United States Mint, relatively few survive today in uncirculated (mint) condition.

Even fewer proof 1942 pennies were made for collectors, and these are considerably scarce today.

So, what is a 1942 penny worth if it’s worn?

What about those proof 1942 pennies?

And what if a 1942 wheat penny has no mintmark?

Here’s what a 1942 penny is worth today and how many were made at each of the U.S. Mint facilities around the United States:

  • 1942 penny no mintmark (Philadelphia) — 657,796,000 minted, 5 to 10+ cents
  • 1942-D penny (Denver) — 206,698,000 minted, 5 to 10+ cents
  • 1942-S penny (San Francisco) — 85,590,000 minted, 5 to 10+ cents
  • 1942 proof penny (Philadelphia) — 32,600 minted, $35+

*Values are for worn, but problem-free coins (no cleanings, holes, porosity, etc.). Uncirculated 1942 pennies are generally worth $1 or more

IMPORTANT: Do You Know The Grade Of Your Penny?

To determine the true value of your 1942 penny, you first need to know what condition (or grade) your coin is in.

Grab a coin magnifier and a copy of the U.S. Coin Grading Standards book. Then, watch this video to see how to grade coins yourself at home:


Rare 1942 Penny Values

If you’re reading this post to find out about rare 1942 penny values, you’ll be glad to know that the rarest 1942 wheat pennies are worth thousands of dollars!

But which 1942 pennies are considered rare?

It depends on what type of rare 1942 penny you’re asking about.

One of the rarest 1942 pennies was brought to light by the family of a former U.S. Mint employee named Albert Michael Pratt. This rare 1942 penny was accidentally struck on a brass planchet intended to be struck as an Ecuador 20 centavos coin (back in the old days, the U.S. Mint struck millions of coins for foreign nations).

While it sounds like an error coin like this would be difficult to distinguish from all of the other 1942 pennies, this really cool wrong planchet penny is actually pretty obvious to anybody with a gram measuring scale.

The Ecuador 20 centavos brass planchet weighs 4 grams — or nearly 9-10ths of a gram more than the standard weight of a regular 1942 penny.

Other rare 1942 pennies are scarce due to their condition.

For example, if you find a 1942 penny in uncirculated condition with few surface blemishes, it might be worth having certified by a 3rd-party coin grading company — such as the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) or Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC).

To date, the PCGS has graded only 224 Philadelphia-minted 1942 pennies grading Mint State-67 “Red,” while NGC has certified just 457 in that same grade. They’re worth around $150 to $200, maybe even more if you find an especially nice example in MS-67 “Red” condition.

More Info About Old Pennies

In addition to the links I’ve included above, here are some of our other coin articles that will help you find the current value of all your old pennies:

  • Old Lincoln Cents You Can Still Find In Pocket Change
  • Old Copper Pennies: Which Ones To Save & What They’re Worth
  • Which Old Pennies Are The Most Valuable?
  • 5 Popular Wheat Penny Error Coins
  • 43 Most Valuable Pennies Worth Holding Onto

1942 s penny how much is it worth

I’m the Coin Editor here at TheFunTimesGuide. My love for coins began when I was 11 years old. I primarily collect and study U.S. coins produced during the 20th century. I’m a member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) and the Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG) and have won multiple awards from the NLG for my work as a coin journalist. I’m also the editor at the Florida United Numismatists Club (FUN Topics magazine), and author of Images of America: The United States Mint in Philadelphia (a book that explores the colorful history of the Philadelphia Mint). I’ve contributed hundreds of articles for various coin publications including COINage, The Numismatist, Numismatic News, Coin Dealer Newsletter, Coin Values, and CoinWeek. I’ve authored nearly 1,000 articles here at The Fun Times Guide to Coins (many of them with over 50K shares), and I welcome your coin questions in the comments below!

How much is a 1942 s?

1942 S Jefferson Nickel Value According to the NGC Price Guide, as of October 2022, a Jefferson Nickel from 1942 in circulated condition is worth between $1.25 and $3.75.

What's the value of a 1942 silver penny?

Mintage Numbers In Average Circulated (AC) condition it's worth around 40 cents, one in certified mint state (MS+) condition could bring as much as $12 at auction.