Penny · 1974
1974 Memorial Penny Value
A 1974 penny is worth $0.01 to $0.49 in circulated condition, depending on its mint mark and wear. The record price at auction is $145 (Stack's Bowers, 2024).
Prices updated:
About the 1974 penny
The 1974 cent is a regular circulation issue, struck in bronze (95% copper, 5% zinc), weighing 3.11 g, 19 mm across, from a design by Victor David Brenner. It was struck at Denver, Philadelphia, San Francisco — 8,876,665,183 coins in all.
For scale, 1974 mintage was 11% lower than in 1975, when 9,956,751,442 were struck.
San Francisco made the fewest at 409,426,660, against 4,235,098,000 from Denver — a 10-to-1 difference, and the one number on this page most likely to matter if the date is ever collected seriously.
The spread on this date is almost entirely about condition. A worn example is $0.01; the same coin certified MS68RD carries a guide value of $6,500, and PCGS has graded 6 that high. Everything between those two numbers is a question of how the coin was handled in its first weeks.
Population figures put that in perspective. Across the grades listed here PCGS has certified 5,985 examples of this date, and only 6 of them reached MS68RD. A coin that spent years in a till will not be among them; one pulled from a roll and never touched might be. That gap is the whole reason two coins with the same date sell for very different money.
There is also a record of what people actually paid. The highest recorded sale for this date is $145, at Stack's Bowers in June 2024. Auction results move around the guide values rather than matching them — the same coin can bring more on a day two determined bidders want it, and less when nobody does.
Value chart by grade
| Mint mark | Mintage | G | VG | F | VF | XF | AU | UNC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D | 4,235,098,0004235.1M | $0.02 | $0.06 | $0.12 | $0.12 | $0.12 | $0.12 | $0.31 |
| No mint mark | 4,232,140,5234232.1M | $0.01 | $0.05 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.12 | $0.31 |
| S | 409,426,660409.4M | $0.06 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.13 | $0.13 | $0.37 | $0.49 |
What the grades mean
Grades run G to UNC, then MS60–MS70, where most value sits. How coin grading works →
Uncirculated values (MS grades)
Most value lives above UNC — population shows the rarity.
Mint mark D PCGS #2972
| Grade | Value | Graded in this grade | Finer |
|---|---|---|---|
| MS63RD | $5 | 64 | 2,130 |
| MS65RD | $15 | 604 | 1,133 |
| MS66RD | $24 | 882 | 245 |
| MS67RD | $135 | 204 | 18 |
| MS68RD | $5,000 | 4 | 0 |
Common in circulation, rare in top grade: PCGS has graded only 204 examples in MS67RD — that's why the price jumps from $24 to $135.
No mint mark PCGS #2969
| Grade | Value | Graded in this grade | Finer |
|---|---|---|---|
| MS63RD | $7 | 23 | 2,005 |
| MS65RD | $18 | 580 | 1,168 |
| MS66RD | $24 | 887 | 271 |
| MS67RD | $110 | 216 | 28 |
| MS68RD | $6,500 | 6 | 0 |
Common in circulation, rare in top grade: PCGS has graded only 6 examples in MS68RD — that's why the price jumps from $110 to $6,500.
Mint mark S PCGS #82978
| Grade | Value | Graded in this grade | Finer |
|---|---|---|---|
| MS63RD | $7 | 83 | 1,117 |
| MS65RD | $20 | 430 | 345 |
| MS66RD | $65 | 279 | 64 |
| MS67RD | $550 | 58 | 1 |
Common in circulation, rare in top grade: PCGS has graded only 58 examples in MS67RD — that's why the price jumps from $65 to $550.
PCGS Price Guide values for certified (slabbed) coins. Population — how many PCGS has graded.What BN, RB and RD mean
Copper darkens with age, and graders record how much original colour survives: BN fully toned, RB part-original, RD still mint-red and much the hardest to find. The difference moves the price as much as the grade does. More on grading →
How to identify your 1974 penny
What if it has already been cleaned?
Still identifies the same — you lose the premium. Don't try to fix it.
Where is the mint mark
It sits on the obverse, just below the date. No letter means Philadelphia — normal, not rare. What the letter means →
Proof and collector versions
Alongside the coins made for circulation, the Mint sold 1 collector version of the 1974 1974 penny — proofs and special finishes struck at San Francisco and sold directly in sets.These never entered circulation, so if your coin came out of a till or a jar it is not one of them. They carry an S mint mark and a mirror or satin finish that is obvious next to an ordinary coin. The scarcest was struck in 2,612,568.
| Format | Mint | Mintage | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proof | S | 2,612,5682.6M | $1.80 |
Auction records
Real sales, not estimates. An auction result is one coin on one day, so individual prices land on both sides of the guide values above; the figures exclude the buyer's premium.| Date | Coin | Auction house | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2024 | D | Stack's Bowers | $145 |
| Apr 2014 | S | Great Collections | $8 |
| Aug 2014 | S | Great Collections | $7 |
What to do with your 1974 penny
Don't clean it
Leave the surface alone — see the warning above.
Is it worth grading?
Grading costs roughly $50–100 per coin. For this coin it can pay off in high grades — MS68RD examples are valued at $5,000, and the top of the scale runs to $6,500. Grading is worth considering only if the coin has no wear and full original lustre.
Where to sell
Dealer: fastest, pays least. Auction: best for coins worth $100+. eBay: most buyers, most fees.
Specifications
1 Cent "Lincoln Memorial Cent" (Bronze)
- Composition
- Bronze (95% copper, 5% zinc)
- Weight
- 3.11 g
- Diameter
- 19 mm
- Thickness
- 1.3 mm
- Edge
- Plain
- Designer
- Victor David Brenner
- Mints
- United States Mint of Philadelphia, United States Mint of Denver, United States Mint of San Francisco
FAQ
How much is a 1974 penny worth?
A circulated 1974 penny is worth $0.01 to $0.49 depending on condition and mint mark. In top uncirculated grades it goes much higher — the PCGS guide reaches $6,500 in MS68RD.
How many 1974 pennies were made?
About 8,876,665,183 in total — Denver 4,235,098,000, Philadelphia 4,232,140,523, San Francisco 409,426,660.
Are there rare 1974 penny varieties?
No varieties are catalogued for this date.
What is the S penny from 1974?
An S mint mark on a 1974 penny means a collector coin from San Francisco — 1 proof and special-finish versions were sold in sets rather than released into circulation. The scarcest was struck in 2,612,568. They are not found in change.
Should I get my 1974 penny graded?
Grading costs roughly $50–100 per coin. For this date it can pay off at the very top of the scale, where the guide reaches $6,500, but only for a coin with no wear and full lustre.
What is the most expensive 1974 penny?
The record among recorded sales is $145, at Stack's Bowers in June 2024.
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