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Here, well list the average prices the 1944 steel wheat penny currently fetches from cheapest to most expensive. Wheat pennies from the mid-1940s differ from most other wheat cents. The condition of the coin, the mint mark, and any other notable errors make it one of the most valuable coins on the market. While it will probably always remain unknown precisely what caused the 1944 silverpenny, as some call it,what we do know is this the 1944 steel penny has just about as much interest swirling around it as does the 1943 copper cent, an error coin of the opposite kind. If you have a proof coin in PR 63 state, it could fetch as much as $44 or more. I'm not sure if you would call it a lamination error, or a cracked skull. My recommendation would be to submit the steel penny to a grading service (NGC or PCGS) and list it for auction. Real People. The rarest 1944 penny is the Lincoln mint mark of the Philadelphia Mint (no mint mark on the reverse side). The steel cent was made in an effort to conserve bronze for World War II. The most valuable of the wheat pennies is the 1944-S Wheat Penny, which was minted at the San Francisco mint. 1944-D Lincoln Penny (Zinc-coated steel) 1909-S VDB Lincoln Penny. What does this coin weigh (in grams, down to the hundredth of a gram)? As a result, only a limited number of coins were made with a limited amount of metal. There are even some copper versions which may bear discoloration due to traces of gunpowder which was not removed during the metal refining process from when ammunition shells were melted down to make the coins. The 1944 Wheat penny is a copper coin with no silver or tin content. How much is my 1944 copper penny worth? - JacAnswers The app is 100% free and provides accurate, up-to-date information on the pricing and value of different coins. What 1944 wheat penny is worth a lot of money? The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. What if anything are they worth. Value Of A 1944 Steel PennyThey are some of the most common of common More than 2 billion wheat pennies were made in 1944, but that doesnt mean that there arent important 1944 Lincoln cents that are worth a lot of money. While it is a rare item, its actual value is much less. Top 10 Most Valuable, Rare Wheat pennies worth money - Coin Collecting How can I get ten 1944 Steel pennies authenticated for insurance? 1942 Lincoln Wheat Pennies - Coin Values 1-1969 D If the Wheat Penny shows any signs of being in outstanding condition, it may be a rare Wheat Penny. 1944 Pennies Worth Money - How Much Is It Worth and Why, Errors Most Valuable Quarters: A List Of Silver Quarters & Other Rare Quarters You Should Hold Onto! if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[580,400],'remodelormove_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_3',156,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-remodelormove_com-medrectangle-4-0'); The 1944 wheat penny would be incredibly rare and valuable with this mint mark and can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. A penny in good condition will remain bright and full of small details, while a penny that is less than good condition may be dull and lack detail. 1943 Steel Penny Value (Worth A Million Dollars? Coin grading uses a 70 point scale, agreed upon and standardised by professional numismatists (coin experts). When researching the value of your penny, it is important to be sure to consult a reputable source. 590-591 Problems and Costs of Coining One-Cent Pieces December 8, 1943. Join us today for FREE! is it worth anything? An uncirculated MS+ penny sells between $1.11-$3.22 or higher. 7 Rare Wheat Pennies To Collect & What Theyre Worth Today, This 1982 Copper Penny Is Worth $10,000! The speculation began almost as soon as the coins were released. 1944 d wheat penny The reason there are so many 1944 steel cents from the Philadelphia Mint is that 25 million leftover 1943 zinc-coated one-cent steel blanks were used in 1944 to make an emergency issue of 2-Franc coins for liberated Belgium. As for the 1944 steel cent without a mintmark, it is worth more than $28,000 in average condition. The popular pawn show Pawn Stars featured a rare 1944 steel wheat penny. Value: $389,968 There are 2 variation of the 1944 penny, one made with a metal mixture of both copper and zinc, and the other all copper. At a pawn shop, collectors can pay premium values for high-grade 1942 pennies. Josh @ CoinValues, Nicole, I have 1944D and 1944S as Well 1944 no mint. 4. One 1944 steel cent graded in MS64 without a marksoldfor $180,000 in an auction in June 2021. Theyre worth far more than the famous 1909-S VDB penny the rarest regular-issue Lincoln cent: Of course, when a penny is worth more than $85,000, youd expect a few counterfeit examples to be floating around out there. If you collect coins, you know about the 1943 steel Lincoln cent. Your email address will not be published. Is it worth anything? 1909-S "VDB" Lincoln Wheat cent. The most valuable 1944 wheat penny may also have a tripling of letters (usually S/S/S) which indicates the coin has been struck an additional time. For instance, a 1944 wheat penny in certified mint state (MS+) condition can fetch between $6 and $8 at an auction. Josh. If your 1944 does NOT stick to a magnet and looks like a regular cent then your piece is relatively common and worth 5 to 10 cents." Source: USA CoinBook. both stick to magnetic, trying to see if they are worth anything. It proves that shell casings were in fact used to make Lincoln cents from 1944 through 1946. I'm afraid the photo did not upload correctly. Check Your Change! These Valuable Pennies Are Worth Thousands There are two thin, horizontal lines emerging from the left side of the crossbar of the T in CENTS. 1914-D Lincoln Cent. And also make sure you're aware of potential fakes online. To make a long story short, grading is nothing more than having the coin's condition professionally assessed. Coin Slabbing Services, This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site, https://coinvalues.com/wheat-pennies/1943, https://coinvalues.com/wheat-pennies/1935, https://coinvalues.com/wheat-pennies/1958, https://coinvalues.com/library/coin-slabbing-services, https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-0/s261x260/66368484_441685056414764_1363231016411463680_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&, https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-0/s261x260/66273164_2432053220357404_6694322626694742016_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&, To My Young Brothers & Sisters at Reddit & Elsewhere. Would you please try again, using a jpeg photo file under 2 MB? Here is our pennies worth money list based on recent auction records. Where can upload the pictures? The 1944 wheat penny is a must-have for coin collectors everywhere! With these resources, you can make an informed decision as to the approximate value of your 1944 wheat penny. There are perhaps only 20 or 30 1944 steel cents that were minted in Philadelphia, between 7 and 10 minted in Denver, and only 2 minted in San Francisco. How is the value of a US 1944 penny determined? - Quora ), 1944 Half Dollar Value Chart (Ms 68 Is Estimated To Cost Up To $42,000), 1944 Quarter Value Chart (Worth As Much As $16,800), 1944 Dime Value Chart (Worth As Much As $11,750 ), 10 Most Valuable Lefton China Pieces (Rarest Sold For $1,295), Antique Cast Iron Stoves Value (Rarest & Most Valuable is Selling for $24,500), 1920 Singer Sewing Machine Value (Rarest Sold For $3,000), Most Valuable 1934 20 Dollar Bill (Rarest Sold For $40,800), 4 Most Valuable Antique Typewriter (Rarest Sold For $110,059), Antique Ruby Rings Value (Rarest & Most Valuable Sold For $2.6 Million), Antique Cast Iron Toy Value (Rarest & Most Valuable Sold For $13,500), Top 10 Antique Stores in Connecticut [Update 2023], THE 10 BEST Pennsylvania Antique Stores (with Photos), 10 Best Antiques Near Me in Fort Worth, TX, The 13 Most Valuable Disney Pins (Rarest Sold For $10,000), Most Valuable Rare Hummel Figurines (Rarest Sold For $5000+), 1941 Penny Value Chart (Worth Million Dollars? Beware of zinc-coated copper penny fakes! How much is it worth? A 1944 no mint Wheat Penny in good condition can be worth around $2 to $10. How Much is a 1944 Penny Worth in 2023? - Forex Education Hello i have a 1944 no mint wheat penny and upon a closer look with magnifying glass it seems to have tiny holes on the back that are not noticeable with the eye. Additionally, a 1944-S Lincoln wheat penny graded MS67BN, sold for $50.00 in 2018. These were leftover steel blanks from the production of 1943 pennies when copper was in short supply. Find out more here. For this reason it is also known as the 1944 Lincoln penny. The popular pawn show Pawn Stars featured a rare 1944 steel wheat penny. While 1943 copper cents weigh about 3.11 grams and don't stick to a magnet, the more common steel cents (which weigh 2.7 grams) adhere to a magnet. 1-1942 Wheat penny Real Helpful. The coin was minted for less than a year and was produced at the Philadelphia Mint. 1944 Wheat Penny Value: How Much is it Worth Today? - Something Borrowed The 1802 Draped Bust Half Dollar is among the most valuable half dollars. Additionally, the high demand for these coins due to their rarity has caused their value to increase substantially over the years. How and where do I upload images? Is a 1944 penny worth any money. The Denver mint struck 430,578,000 coins with the "D" mint mark. Thanks in advance, You would have to take them to a licensed coin grader for them to be appraised, and very possibly, slabbed for insurance purposes. 1935 Lincoln wheat pennies: https://coinvalues.com/wheat-pennies/1935 There are some very rare ones which were combined with steel. How much is all this ? It should weigh 2.7 grams. (1896 $5 Silver Certificate Costs Between $10,000 and $12,000. This makes the 1944 steel wheat penny incredibly rare and hence valuable. $0.01 USD. 2023 VIP Art Fair Collectibles - WordPress Theme by Kadence WP, Most Expensive Catalytic Converters (Rare One Sold for $12,211.89). Im 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). At the top of the coin the phrase E Pluribus Unum is inscribed. Also it seems to have unusual imprints on Lincolns face. Hi, Rosa - 4-1957 D Wheat pennies Much like the famous 1943 copper Wheat cents that were made when leftover copper blanks were accidentally run through the coin presses during the production of steel pennies, the 1944 steel Wheat cents were made when leftover steel blanks got mixed in with the brass shell casing blanks. First of all, any kind of misalignment in the numbers and letters is a giveaway sign of a fake, so make sure you compare your coin to images of certified 1944 steel wheat pennies to check its authenticity. Has any one seen a 1955 penny with 55 over 55 and has crack runs through the 55 and missing the word trust. 1-1970 D Roger W. Burdette was perhaps the foremost numismatic historian of our era. Three sites you can try to buy coins from are: Cars revolutionized our lives, as personal mobility is one of the most important aspects of modern society. I have a 1944 wheat penny. . Its value ranges from 20 cents to 50 cents, but it could be worth way more than that, depending on its qualities. More than 2 billion wheat pennies were made in 1944, but that doesn't mean that there aren't important 1944 Lincoln cents that are worth a lot of money. https://imgur.com/N7jYHNP, 1944 s wheat penny What 1944 penny is worth the most? - Vanessa Benedict For this reason it is also known as the 1944 Lincoln penny. I have one 1944 penny. I have 1944 steel one please check photos, at first, I thought it was from another coin, but at closer inspection, I noticed that the error is actually part of this coin. At the top of the coin the phrase E Pluribus Unum is inscribed. The other one is the1943 Lincoln steel penny which is much more common. STEEL cents can be extremely rare and potentially worth in the millions if it features a 1944 date. What Is the Value of a 1943 Copper Penny? Additionally, some of the metal used was salvaged from melted-down ammunition and shell casing, making the coins even rarer. * You can sell a copper 1944 for, like maybe $.05, or a nickel. Additionally, wheat pennies can have a variety of mint marks, meaning where it was made, located on the reverse side of the coin. I have a 1944 penny with the A semi missing. If its a normal 1944, 1944-D, or 1944-S cent, it isnt worth much. 1-1941 D Wheat penny Hi. Thank you for your question, Dont be afraid to ask questions to find out more about the coin most coin enthusiasts are happy to share information and spread their knowledge. These zinc-coated steel Wheat cents were a stop-gap measure to keep the US economy from seizing up while the Mint looked for alternatives. For a 1943 copper penny that is in average condition, the value is around $60,000 $85,000. Im the Coin Editor here at TheFunTimesGuide. They have been used for centuries to keep track of time,, Read More Most Valuable Seth Thomas Clocks (Worth From $200 to $4,000+)Continue, Your email address will not be published. Josh @ CoinValues. The exact worth of a 1944 wheat penny can vary greatly depending on its condition. 'ONE' and 'PENNY' are in the fields, a. lighthouse is in the background to the left, and the date is in the exergue below. $0.20. They can be spotted by the absence of the edge features of the Lincoln cent design. When we say good, fine, extremely fine, and uncirculated condition, what do we mean? On the tail (reverse) side of the 1944 wheat penny there are two inscriptions which read The United States of America and One Cent.. Furthermore, it's not always the condition of a coin that makes it the most valuable. So, if your 1943 copper penny doesnt have a long 3, then its not genuine. Australian coin and banknote values New Zealand predecimal coin values UK coin values - 1801 to 1967 United States coin values - 1792 to present The 1944 wheat penny diameter is 19 millimeters across. A 1944 Uncirculated, or Mint State, wheat penny with no defects may be worth up to $1000. Why is 1944 wheat penny rare? - Vanessa Benedict Josh. Why does 1944 wheat penny not have an s ,d, or p under year. During World War II, pennies were produced using steel with a zinc coating. 1-1945 D Wheat penny Required fields are marked *. Grading the 1944 Lincoln Penny. Manage Settings Rare Lincoln Penny Exceeds $1 Million in Sale. Otherwise you can get your coin authenticated by a Third Party Grader such as the PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service). The Top 16 Most Valuable Pennies - The Spruce Crafts On the tail (reverse) side of the 1944 wheat penny there are two inscriptions which read The United States of America and One Cent.. 1944 Wheat pennies with distinctive attributes could be worth thousands of dollars. Basically in mint condition with only perhaps some natural discoloration, highest market value. It shows that all 1944 wheat pennies had the highest mintage in US coinage history. Shell casing Wheat cents can sometimes display a brighter color than a normal bronze cent. But unlike the 1943 date, there is a scarce amount of 1944 steel pennies. This record would not be broken until 1960, when 2,167,289,000 Lincoln Memorial cents were produced. Thank you so much, The famous 1944 wheat penny, also called the 1944 Lincoln penny, was designed by Victor David Brenner. Die cracks can cause parts of the design, lettering, and date to be missing on the surface of the coin. These can make megabucks, fetching over $1.11 million when in top condition! The 1944 Lincoln cent is one of the most common wheat pennies, which were minted from 1909 through 1958.. More than 2.1 billion 1944 pennies were struck at the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco Mints combined and virtually all of these one-cent coins were made from copper.. 1-1935 S Wheat penny 1944 Lincoln Wheat Penny Value Guide (Up to $373,750)! [Anual] Charts Hello, I have 1944 wheat penny that has an error at the back, missing letter ME for AMERICA, is this penny worth something? The hardest wheat pennies to find are generally ones that have been relatively well-preserved over the years. This is why it is classed as one of the 1944 wheat error pennies. If both of your Lincoln steel cents are magnetic, then that is normal and they are worth 10 to 25 cents each in circulated condition. You Could Find This Rare Penny In Your Pocket Change Heres What To Look For. A penny that appears as though it was recently minted will be more valuable than a penny that is severely worn. Idk How much is it worth? This will help you to value it and make sure you get the right price for it, or make sure you are paying the right price! The Draped Bust Half Dollar is one of the most valuable half dollars, worth an estimated $117,500 at an auction in 2015. I got three penny's that date 1935,1944 with a D under the year and a 1958 with a D under it also jus wondering if there were any value to them? It wouldnt be relatively difficult to remove the left side of the 8 on the 1948 Lincoln cent, which is why many counterfeit 1943 copper pennies are actually 1948 one-cent coins. In fact, there are thousands of counterfeit 1943 copper cents and 1944 steel cents floating around, and the trick comes in knowing how to spot them. The 1944 wheat penny diameter is 19 millimeters across. 50 to $25. Here's a list of the top 10 most valuable pennies for 2023: 1) 1944 Steel Wheat Penny - $408,000. This coin sounds like something worth checking out, but it will need to be evaluated further before we can determine exactly what's going on with it. My love for coins began when I was 11 years old. A popular theory is that some steel coin blanks, or planchets, were left in the hoppers and accidentally distributed. Undistributed copies can be purchased for approximately $5 each. The official mintage for the 1922 small cent is 1,243,635 and they are tough to find. 1944-D Lincoln Wheat Cent Penny: Steel Cent. 1944 Lincoln cents as a whole, though, are quite common and can be had for about 10 to 20 cents in most circulated grade. 1944 Penny Value | Discover its Worth - CoinStudy Is a 1974 penny worth any money? - IronSet The grading scale only goes up to 70, meaning a 66 is very high. Copper was in short supply because it was needed for ammunitions purposes during the war. Famously, this coin was manufactured using ammunition shells from World War II, although this is disputed by some. (1896 $5 Silver Certificate Costs Between $10,000 and $12,000. Find out more here. 1 oz South African Gold Krugerrand - Random Dates, 2019 Patriot 1 oz Proof Like Silver Round - American Revolution, 1 oz Canadian Platinum Maple Leaf - Random Date. How do I know if my 1955 penny is double die? The 1909-S and 1914-D have the distinction of being the only wheat pennies minted at the San Francisco and Denver Mints, respectively. 1944 Australian penny value - All Coin Values Josh, Hi yes i have a 1944 s wheat penny but looks copper and sticks to magnet what should i do, Hello, Nicole! By Steven Cochran. Coin grading uses a 70 point scale, agreed upon and standardised by professional numismatists (coin experts). 3-1944 Wheat pennies 1958 Lincoln wheat pennies: https://coinvalues.com/wheat-pennies/1958 A 1944 wheat penny is considered rare because they were not made with a large mintage. It should weigh 3.1 grams. Therefore, you must also determine exactly which mint the 1944 Wheat Penny was issued from. Her other hand rests on a shield bearing. Your next step is to have your coin authenticated by a third-party coin grading company. I would like more 1-1954 Wheat penny Prices range from around 20 cents in circulated condition, to 35 cents in uncirculated. Good luck! The average value of the 1944 steel wheat penny is between 10 and 20 cents, depending on the condition of the coin. The 1944-D Wheat Penny is also quite valuable, worth up to $85 for a circulated coin and up to $1,500 for an uncirculated coin. There were five distinct, Read More Analyzing the 2020 Bat Quarter Value: A Comprehensive GuideContinue, Part of the allure that United States currencies bear (especially here in the states) comes from the, Read More Kennedy Half Dollar Value Chart (1964, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1972)Continue, The $20 bill has been around since the early 1800s, with its design changing several times over, Read More 5 Most Valuable $20 Bills (Rare One Sold For $411,250)Continue, Your email address will not be published. In December 1943 testimony before a House Appropriations Subcommittee[1], Assistant Director of the Mint Leland Howard said: The War Production Board has granted us sufficient virgin copper and shell casings to resume production of a copperhued cent on January 1., When we start producing the bronze coins -- and incidentally we have already started, as far as the production of blanks and ingots are concerned -- we will have to take the virgin copper, shell casings, and zinc-alloy them, melt them and pour them, roll the ingots into strips, and then blank the strips out; and all that cost will be borne by this appropriation, and it will eat into it at a rapid rate. The 1944 United Kingdom penny reverse. plz answer back as soon as possible. Continue with Recommended Cookies. 5. The mint struck about a billion Lincoln pennies . USA Coin Book Estimated Value of 1944-S Lincoln Wheat Penny (Steel Cent Variety) is Worth $399,637 in Average Condition and can be Worth $741,587 to $1,110,923 or more in Uncirculated (MS+) Mint Condition. Josh @ CoinValues. Values, images, and specifications for 1944 penny coins from Australia. Using a magnifying glass is recommended. 1944 marked the end of the emergency WWII production of the 1943 steel penny. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[728,90],'remodelormove_com-box-3','ezslot_4',173,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-remodelormove_com-box-3-0');The 1944 wheat penny is a relatively rare and sought after coin, with some versions of the penny being worth significantly more than other years and mints. The 1944 S steel penny, in average condition, can be worth around $400,000. Year: 1944. 15 Most Valuable Pennies Still in Circulation | Work + Money Make sure not to confuse these with a 1943 date, as more than a billion steel pennies were produced that year. Because the 1944 Lincoln penny is so old, collectors only desire to have pieces that have been graded. All of these errors can affect the value of the 1944 penny, and a coin collector can examine the coin and provide an estimate of the value based on specific errors, grading, and condition. It sounds to me like environmental damage , so yeah probably just a wheatie.. Source: USA CoinBook. I have one as well, have you found any info on it? I HAVE TWO .. But it sounds like you have an altered, counterstamped 1944 Lincoln cent. In EF 40, these coins go for a little over $30,000 while the price hits $60,000 in MS 60. To determine the value of your 1944 wheat penny, you will need to consider several factors, including the condition of your penny, the design of the penny, the mint mark, and the specific rarity of your penny. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[468,60],'remodelormove_com-leader-4','ezslot_23',166,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-remodelormove_com-leader-4-0');The wheat pennies that are the rarest are the 1909-S VDB, 1914-D, 1922 (no D), 1924-D, 1931-S, and 1943-S. There are some rare examples of 1944 steel wheat pennies out there. Hi Tommy. The 1944-S Steel Cent is an extremely rare off-metal striking created when a steel blank left over from 1943 was struck in the normal production run of 1944-S Bronze Cents," Ron Guth, President of Professional Coin Grading Serviceswrote. So, your 1944 steel cent weighs around 2.7 grams or your 1943 copper penny seems to check out? The iconic portrait of Abraham Lincoln and the intriguing production story of this penny makes it one of the most famous pennies that every coin collection should hold. The error on a 1944 penny will depend on the specific coin in question. Variety. Copper and bronze were being used in the manufacture of ammunition during World War II, so a cheaper and more readily available material steel was substituted. Fine. Thankfully, theres a very easy way to tell genuine 1943 copper pennies apart from those that were former 1948 pennies. Around 2.1 million wheat pennies were produced in 1944, more than any other year! Keep an eye on Coin Trackers, a site which tracks the value of different versions of coins and is updated regularly. You might have inherited or found a 1944 wheat penny or become interested in adding this coin to your collection. Did You Know? The 1944 Wheat penny without a mint mark is worth about 15 cents. 1944 Lincoln Wheat cent. The penny was originally minted in silver, but from the late 18th century it was minted in . 1944 Lincoln Wheat Pennies Values and Prices - CoinValues.com How much is a penny from 1944 worth today? - Sage-Answer An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. One of the rarer 1944 wheat pennies that can be found is the D/S wheat penny. To ascertain a coins market value it is important to focus on the quality of the coin how well it was originally struck (made). How can I sell my steel 1943 pennies for decent money? Pennies Worth Money | 100 Most Valuable Pennies In Circulation 1944 marked the return of copper to the Lincoln Wheat Penny coins, though the denomination wasn't struck with exactly the same composition as in 1942. 1944 Lincoln wheat cents were made with metal recycled from ammunition shells. 1922 Plain Lincoln Cent. 1944 Steel Penny Value: Why Is A 1944 Steel Penny Worth So Much (Over $1.11 Million)? A genuine 1944 wheat penny will bear the portrait of Abraham Lincoln on the head (obverse) side of the coin. I'd say to hang onto the coin Hi , I have a ONE CENT 1944 Lincoln penny , How much i can sell? Steel pennies were only made in 1943 and 1944, and are highly sought after for their rarity and historical value. We would need to please see a photo of this coin to verify, so please post a topic in the forum. In other news for the 1944 Lincoln Penny, production figures were extraordinarily high, with about two billion one-cent coins made across all three mints operating in 1944; approximately 1,435,000,000 at the Philadelphia Mint; 430,578,000 at the Denver Mint (D); and 282,760,000 at the San Francisco Mint (S). Josh @ CoinValues, 1943 "D" one CENT wheat I FOUND wath is the value, Hello, Felipe -- Lacking a mint marking, as it was never meant to be released for circulation, the 1944 Steel Wheat Penny will set a buyer back $77,234 to $110,334, depending on the coins . There are even some copper versions which may bear discoloration due to traces of gunpowder which was not removed during the metal refining process from when ammunition shells were melted down to make the coins. 1944 Lincoln wheat cents were made with metal recycled from ammunition shells. 1944 Wheat Penny | Learn the Value of This Coin In 2021, one in an MS66 grade sold for a record $408,000 at a Heritage Auction. The most valuable 1944 penny is a 1944 Steel Wheat Penny. The reason it is so valuable is because in 1944, the U. S. Mint ran out of copper and was forced to switch to an alternative metal composition consisting of steel and a very small amount of zinc. Its value ranges from 15 cents to 35 cents, but it could be worth way more than that, depending on its qualities. Approximately 30 or so 1944 steel cents are thought to exist, with each sporting a price tag ranging from $75,000 to more than $375,000, based on grade.