Penny · 1981
1981 Memorial Penny Value
A 1981 penny is worth $0.01 to $0.34 in circulated condition, depending on its mint mark and wear. The record price at auction is $9 (Great Collections, 2011).
Prices updated:
About the 1981 penny
The 1981 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 Philadelphia, Denver — 12,864,985,677 coins in all.
For scale, 1981 mintage was 29% higher than in 1975, when 9,956,751,442 were struck.
Denver made the fewest at 5,373,235,677, against 7,491,750,000 from Philadelphia.
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 $5,000, 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 3,290 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 $9, at Great Collections in November 2011. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No mint mark | 7,491,750,0007491.8M | $0.01 | $0.06 | $0.09 | $0.12 | $0.15 | $0.15 | $0.34 |
| D | 5,373,235,6775373.2M | $0.01 | $0.06 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.34 |
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.
No mint mark PCGS #3041
| Grade | Value | Graded in this grade | Finer |
|---|---|---|---|
| MS63RD | $4 | 147 | 1,035 |
| MS65RD | $14 | 227 | 599 |
| MS66RD | $32 | 413 | 185 |
| MS67RD | $200 | 150 | 24 |
| MS68RD | $5,000 | 6 | 0 |
Common in circulation, rare in top grade: PCGS has graded only 150 examples in MS67RD — that's why the price jumps from $32 to $200.
Mint mark D PCGS #3035
| Grade | Value | Graded in this grade | Finer |
|---|---|---|---|
| MS63RD | $6 | 79 | 1,208 |
| MS65RD | $20 | 312 | 671 |
| MS66RD | $26 | 429 | 238 |
| MS67RD | $160 | 223 | 4 |
Common in circulation, rare in top grade: PCGS has graded only 223 examples in MS67RD — that's why the price jumps from $26 to $160.
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 1981 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 2 collector versions of the 1981 1981 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 4,063,083.
| Format | Mint | Mintage | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 Proof (filled "S") | S | 4,063,0834.1M | $2.34 |
| Type 2 Proof (clear "S") | S | —— | $17.81 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2011 | D | Great Collections | $9 |
What to do with your 1981 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 — MS67RD examples are valued at $200, and the top of the scale runs to $5,000. 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 (collector issues only)
FAQ
How much is a 1981 penny worth?
A circulated 1981 penny is worth $0.01 to $0.34 depending on condition and mint mark. In top uncirculated grades it goes much higher — the PCGS guide reaches $5,000 in MS68RD.
How many 1981 pennies were made?
About 12,864,985,677 in total — Philadelphia 7,491,750,000, Denver 5,373,235,677.
Are there rare 1981 penny varieties?
No varieties are catalogued for this date.
What is the S penny from 1981?
An S mint mark on a 1981 penny means a collector coin from San Francisco — 2 proof and special-finish versions were sold in sets rather than released into circulation. The scarcest was struck in 4,063,083. They are not found in change.
Should I get my 1981 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 $5,000, but only for a coin with no wear and full lustre.
What is the most expensive 1981 penny?
The record among recorded sales is $9, at Great Collections in November 2011.
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