1938 Wheat Penny

The 1938 Wheat Penny had a total mintage of over 156 million coins struck at the Philadelphia Mint. While this is a massive total mintage, it is smaller than some of the previous Wheat Pennies struck at the Philadelphia Mint. The 1938 Wheat Penny is a plentiful coin that can be found relatively easily in most circulated and uncirculated grades. 

 

History of the 1938 Wheat Penny

The 1938 Wheat Penny is an attractive coin that usually has a solid strike. Cherrypicking should be easy with this coin due to the plentiful nature of it. Although most coins command a higher price for red varieties of the coin, one coin with a brown coloring sold for over $24,000 in 2020. The Wheat Penny was designed by Victor David Brenner. At the time, President Theodore Roosevelt wanted to prepare new coin designs that had more artistic merit. He chose Brenner based on a plaque he created with Lincoln’s profile. The Wheat Penny depicts a bust and profile of Abraham Lincoln on the obverse. The reverse features two stalks of durum wheat.

 

1938 Wheat Penny Worth

The 1938 Wheat Penny value ranges from the hundreds to tens of thousands depending on the grade and coloring of the coin. This would make an attractive coin for any Wheat Penny series collection. The Wheat Penny series is great for the novice and experienced collector alike, and a full collection could be obtained for a few hundred dollars depending on what you’re looking for. 

 

Type of coin: Penny

Year: 1938 Wheat Penny

Wheat Penny Mint Mark: Philadelphia

Total mintage: 156,682,000

Metal content: 95% Copper, 5% Tin and Zinc

Face value: 1 cent

Weight: 3.11 grams

Edge: Plain

Designer: Victor David Brenner

Diameter: 19.00 millimeters