1940 Wheat Penny
The 1940 Wheat Penny had a total mintage of over 586 million coins from the Philadelphia Mint. This massive mintage was even bigger than the huge mintages of previous years. While it is possible to find the 1940 Wheat Penny in the highest uncirculated grades of the red variety, it is harder to find the higher grades in the brown varieties of the coin. For a coin that was so plentiful, it still commands a higher price than many in the series.
History of the 1940 Wheat Penny
The 1940 Wheat Penny is an attractive coin that is worth the effort to cherrypick and find one that is well-struck and is appealing overall. 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.
1940 Wheat Penny Worth
The 1940 Wheat Penny value ranges from around eight hundred dollars for lower grade Mint State coins in the brown variety, which means the higher grades, if possible to find, would cost a significant amount more, and that range reaches upwards of fifteen thousand dollars for the highest grade Mint State red versions of the coin. Wheat Pennies come in colors ranging from brown to brown-red to red. The 1940 Wheat Penny would make a great addition to any Lincoln Cent series collection.
Type of coin: Penny
Year: 1940 Wheat Penny
Wheat Penny Mint Mark: Philadelphia
Total mintage: 586,810,000
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