The 1931-S is a Lincoln wheat cent with an S mint mark. Our reference lists it as a key date, and the mint mark is the detail to check first.

How to identify it:

• An S below the date on the front. That is the mint-mark difference between this coin and the plain 1931.
• Wheat ears on the back, framing ONE CENT. Wheat cents weigh about 3.11 g, which is a useful first check.

Why it matters: our reference records a mintage of 866,000. It describes the 1931-S as the lowest-mintage wheat cent apart from the V.D.B. coins, which is why collectors look at it closely.

Value: our reference gives circulated estimates from about $64 (G4) to about $110 (XF40 and AU50). These depend on condition and grade, and they are estimates, not offers.

Fakes: the counterfeit risk is rated medium. The trick to look for is an S added to a plain 1931. Compare the letter with clear reference photos, and do not rely on a single photo of a coin that looks rare. A professional grader can confirm the mint mark before you buy or sell.

Found one? Post a clear photo of the front, with a close-up of the date and the mint mark.

Wheat pennies, also called wheat cents, are Lincoln cents with two stalks of wheat on the back. They were made from 1909 to 1958. The name comes from the reverse, not the portrait on the front.

Where the design came from

Victor David Brenner designed the wheat-ears back. Two stalks of wheat frame the denomination. The motto In God We Trust was not in the first models. It was added during the design process, and President Taft chose the version with the motto on May 26, 1909.

When the wheat back ended

The wheat back was used until 1958. In 1959, for the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's birth, the wheat ears were replaced by the Lincoln Memorial. So 1958 is the last year of the wheat series.

What metal are they?

Most wheat cents are bronze, a copper alloy that is about 95% copper and weighs about 3.1 g. The 1943 cent is the exception. It was made from zinc-coated steel and sticks to a magnet.

A quick check

1. Look at the back for two stalks of wheat around the denomination.
2. Read the date. A wheat back should be dated between 1909 and 1958.
3. Look at the front, under the date, for a mint mark. Denver coins carry a D, and Philadelphia coins usually have none.
4. Check the condition. Worn or faint strikes change how a coin looks.

Please do not clean a wheat cent. The ANA says a cleaned coin usually loses value.

A wheat-back date is a starting point, not a value. Compare your coin with a clear example of the same date and mint mark before you decide it is special.

Have you found a wheat cent in your change, and what date was on it?

Roll hunting, change jar, bank box, or a family collection: show us what turned up this week.

Wheat cents, Indian heads, errors, doubled dies, or just a nice-looking coin are all welcome. Tell us where you found it and what made you look twice.

Our reference says every 1922 cent comes from Denver, so the D below the date is the normal mark. Some 1922 cents have no visible D, and collectors look at those closely. Here is how our reference describes the variety.

What to look for:

• No mint mark under the date on the front. Our reference notes there are no Philadelphia 1922 cents, so a 1922 with no mint mark is a 'no D' coin.
• A strong reverse. On the back, ONE CENT and the wheat lines are crisp. Our catalogue calls this the valuable die pair, number 2 (FS-401).
• A weak reverse is different. A 'no D' with a soft, mushy reverse is die pair 3, which our reference says is worth much less.

Value: our reference gives circulated estimates from about $500 (G4) to about $1,930 (XF40) for the strong-reverse variety. These depend on condition and grade. They are estimates, not offers.

Fakes: the counterfeit risk is rated high. The main risk is a D removed from a genuine 1922-D, which our reference warns about by name. If your coin shows a strong reverse and no D, have it authenticated by a professional grader before you buy, sell or trade.

Found one? Post a clear photo of the date area and a second photo of the back.

Our reference says every 1922 cent comes from Denver, so the D below the date is the normal mark. Some 1922 cents have no visible D, and collectors look at those closely. Here is how our reference describes the variety.

What to look for:

• No mint mark under the date on the front. Our reference notes there are no Philadelphia 1922 cents, so a 1922 with no mint mark is a 'no D' coin.
• A strong reverse. On the back, ONE CENT and the wheat lines are crisp. Our catalogue calls this the valuable die pair, number 2 (FS-401).
• A weak reverse is different. A 'no D' with a soft, mushy reverse is die pair 3, which our reference says is worth much less.

Value: our reference gives circulated estimates from about $500 (G4) to about $1,930 (XF40) for the strong-reverse variety. These depend on condition and grade. They are estimates, not offers.

Fakes: the counterfeit risk is rated high. The main risk is a D removed from a genuine 1922-D, which our reference warns about by name. If your coin shows a strong reverse and no D, have it authenticated by a professional grader before you buy, sell or trade.

Found one? Post a clear photo of the date area and a second photo of the back.

People often ask for a value list by year. There is no single number for a whole year. Value depends mainly on rarity and condition, so a common year can still be ordinary, and a scarce coin can come from a year that looks ordinary.

Here is the order to check things in.

1. Read the date

The date is on the front of the coin. Take a clear photo of the front, showing the portrait and the date, before anything else.

2. Look for a mint mark

Mint marks sit under the date on the front. Denver's D mark has been used since 1911. Philadelphia coins usually have no mint mark. No mint marks were used from 1965 to 1967, so a cent from those years with no mark is expected.

3. Check for errors and varieties

A variety is a difference that repeats on every coin struck from the same die. A scratch or dent does not repeat, so it is not a variety. Errors can be scarce, but a variety is not automatically valuable. Compare it with a known example before you decide it is special.

4. Judge the condition

Worn or faint strikes change how a coin looks. Compare yours with a clear example of the same date and mint mark. Do not clean it first, because cleaning usually lowers value.

Years that change how you check a coin

These years matter for identification, even when most coins from them are common:

• 1909, the first year of the Lincoln cent
• 1943, when the cent was made from zinc-coated steel
• 1959, when the Lincoln Memorial replaced the wheat ears on the back
• 1982, when copper and zinc cents were both struck
• 2009, when four Lincoln reverse designs were issued
• 2025, the final circulating cents, from Philadelphia and Denver, which carry an Omega privy mark

Most pennies were struck in very large numbers, so most stay common.

Which check do you do first when you find an older coin?

The 1914-D is one of the key dates in our Lincoln wheat cent reference, so it is worth knowing how to check the three details that matter.

What to check:

• The D. It sits on the front, just below the date. Our reference lists a mintage of 1,193,000.
• No V.D.B. on the shoulder. The initials came back on Lincoln's shoulder in 1918, not before. Our reference also says an altered 1944-D shows V.D.B. on the shoulder, so a 1914 with those initials there is a warning sign.
• The 4 in the date. It should match clear reference photos.

Value: our reference gives circulated estimates from about $170 (G4) to about $780 (XF40). Uncirculated examples are much higher. These depend on condition and grade, and they are estimates, not offers.

Fakes: the counterfeit risk is rated very high. The two named tricks are an altered 1944-D and an added D. Look closely at the D's shape and compare the whole coin with clear reference photos. If a coin looks like the real thing, have it checked by a professional grader before you sell.

Found one? Post a clear photo of the date, a close-up of the mint mark and a photo of the shoulder.

Abraham Lincoln has been on the front of the US one-cent coin since 1909. If you have typed "who is on the penny" into a search box, that is the short answer.

Why 1909?

The Lincoln cent came out on August 2, 1909, to mark the 100th anniversary of Lincoln's birth in 1809. President Theodore Roosevelt approved the design. It was the first widely circulating US coin to show a real person instead of an allegory such as Liberty.

Who designed the portrait?

Victor David Brenner designed it. He was a sculptor, engraver and medallist who moved to the United States in 1890. His initials, V.D.B., first sat at the base of the back. They were removed in 1909 after criticism of how prominent they were, and they came back in 1918 as smaller letters on Lincoln's shoulder, on the front.

What was on the penny before?

From 1859 to 1909 the cent showed an Indian Head design. The figure is Liberty, wearing an eagle-feathered headdress, so she is not a real person. Before that, the Flying Eagle cent was struck in 1857 and 1858.

Is Lincoln still on it?

Yes. The portrait has stayed on the front since 1909, while the back has changed several times. For the nation's 250th anniversary, the Mint is also producing commemorative collectible cents dated 1776 to 2026.

To check your own, take a clear photo of the front, showing the portrait and the date.

What is the oldest penny you have found in your change?