1958 Wheat Penny

Notes:

1958 was the last year the U.S. Mint would issue the Wheat Cent. After 1958 the reverse of the penny would be updated to show the Lincoln Memorial instead.

No wheat pennies issued at the San Francisco mint this year. Just Denver and Philadelphia versions. 875 Thousand proof pennies were also issued here at the mint in Philadelphia and they are worth around $8 each.

The finest 1958 Wheat Cent MS67+ and MS68 specimens have sold at auction for between $3,000 and $8,000 each. The chance of finding a coin in this condition is honestly near impossible.

While the 1958 Lincoln Cent either that of the Denver or Philadelphia issue, is worth on average $1 to $4.50, error coins are worth much more.

If you enjoy coin roll hunting and looking for errors then 1958 was a pretty good year. 1958 Wheat Errors are listed in no particular order.

1958 Wheat Cent Errors

Overstruck on Cuba Centavo Error - these look very much like a regular penny, they are however slightly smaller. Usually a large portion of the lettering near the rim is missing. These coins will weigh 2.45 g and not the normal 3.11 g. These coins sell for thousands of dollars.

Struck on Silver Dime Planchet - This error is exactly what it sounds like. A penny die striking a dime planchet. This coin will essentially look like a silver penny. These are selling for several thousand dollars as well.

D / D Error - D over D or D/D 1958 Wheat Cents appear to be a D retrsuck over the D. This is not a doubling or double die strike however as the United States mint placed marks by hand and not with a regular die machine back then.

1958 Wheat Penny Double Die - This is a legendary cent that has sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. There are only three examples to have been verified, and the last one sold for $336,000.

Off Center Strikes - There are many examples of offcenter strikes for 1958. The more offcenter and the better the condition the higher the value. Offcenter strikes between 5% and 95% known to exist.

Lamination Errors - Lamination errors are very common not just for this year but for most years, and most coins..

Defective Planchet Error - When planchets are not cleanly struck and or broken by the cutting process they are then stamped by a die they are deemed a defective planchet error. These appear to sell for about $100 currently.

Clipped Planchet Error - This error looks as if someone took the edge of a cookie cutter and clipped the edge of the coin.

How much is a 1958 Wheat Penny worth?

In Average Circulated (AC) condition it's worth around 15 cents, one in certified mint state (MS+) condition could bring as much as $5 at auction. This price does not reference any standard coin grading scale. So when we say Average Circulated, we mean in a similar condition to other coins circulated in 1958, and mint state meaning it is certified MS+ by one of the top coin grading companies. *** [?].

What are your coins really worth?

Use the handy-dandy calculator below to find the real value of any wheat penny in your collection.

Specs & Design

This coin has a total mass of 3.11 g, a diameter of 19.05 mm, and a thickness of 1.55 mm. It's edge is smooth, and the coins are composed of 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc..

Designer: Victor D. Brenner

Front (Obverse): The front or obverse of this coin contains the bust of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States. If a mint mark is present it will be on the bottom right just under the year. If no mint mark is present the coin was minted in Philadelphia. With D standing for Denver, and S standing for San Francisco. The words IN GOD WE TRUST follow the top arch of the coin nicely framing Lincolns head, and the word LIBERTY sits just left of President Lincolns Colar.

Back (Reverse): The reverse of the Wheat Penny, also known as the Wheat Cent contains two wheat stalks, the words One Cent, and the Latin phrase E PLURIBUS UNUM which means Out of many, one. The reverse image would later change in 1959.