1945 Wheat Penny Value: What Is It Worth in 2026?
Common date: not worth selling one by one. Keep it for your collection, or bundle it with other wheat pennies by the roll or bag.
Value by condition
| Fine (F-12) | $0.06 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $0.12 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $0.24 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $0.43 |
| Mint State (MS-63, uncirculated) | $2.50 |
Grades without a published guide price are not shown.
A 1945 Lincoln Wheat Cent struck at the Philadelphia (no mint mark) mint — a later common date, affordable in circulated grades.
What a 1945 wheat penny looks like
Your 1945 looks exactly like this, with "1945" where the date sits in the photo.
How to judge the condition of your coin
- Look at the wheat stalks first. On a worn coin (like the photo — about "Good" grade), the stalk lines are mostly smooth. If every line and grain in the stalks is sharp, you are looking at Extremely Fine or better.
- Then check Lincoln's cheek and jaw. These are the highest points on the front. Wear shows there before anywhere else; a flat cheek means a lower grade.
- When in doubt, grade down. Sellers systematically overgrade; use the lower row of the price table and you will not be disappointed.
Worn-coin photo: Mark Morgan, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
1945 penny: mints compared
| Version | Mintage | Value range |
|---|---|---|
| 1945-D Wheat Penny | ~266 million struck | $0.06–$2.50 |
| 1945 Wheat Penny (this page) | ~1,041 million struck | $0.06–$2.50 |
| 1945-S Wheat Penny | ~182 million struck | $0.12–$2.50 |
Mintage and value can differ a lot by mint mark — compare the versions above before assuming yours is the common one.
1945 wheat penny no mint mark value
If your 1945 penny has no letter below the date, nothing is missing and nothing is wrong — it was struck at the Philadelphia Mint, which did not mark its cents. "No mint mark" and "P" are the same coin, so the price table above is exactly the one to use.
In worn condition a 1945 Philadelphia cent trades close to face value — dealers sell them by the roll. Uncirculated examples with original red luster are where the value lives: around $2.50 in MS-63. The 1945-D and 1945-S versions (with a letter under the date) are different coins — check the related links below if yours has one.
The 1945 penny: a shell-casing cent from the war's final year
Philadelphia struck over a billion pennies in 1945 — 1,040,515,000 to be exact — so this is one of the most common wheat pennies in existence. The 1944–1946 issues have a quiet bit of history: much of the copper was recycled from spent ammunition shell casings, which is why collectors call them 'shell-casing cents'. The recycled alloy sometimes tones in slightly streaky colors, which is normal and does not hurt the grade by itself.
In worn condition a 1945 penny is worth face value to about ten cents, and dealers handle them by the roll. The realistic money is in uncirculated condition: around $2.50 in MS-63, with fully red gem examples bringing more. There is no famous 1945 error to hunt for — minor doubled dies exist but carry modest premiums, and most 'doubling' people spot on these is worthless strike doubling.
Selling advice: a single worn 1945 is not worth listing anywhere. Bundle common-date wheat cents as a lot on eBay or sell them to a dealer by weight. Only an uncirculated coin with full original red luster justifies individual sale, and professional grading is not economical below the gem grades.
How to confirm it's genuine
- The mint mark sits directly below the date — no letter means Philadelphia (P). A magnifier with light at a 45° angle works best.
- Never clean the coin: cleaning destroys the original surface and can cut the value in half.
- For any coin worth more than $200, PCGS/NGC grading fees (~$20–50) are money well spent.
Where to sell this coin
- eBay works best in the $1.00–$200 range. Take clear photos of both sides in natural light, and put the year, mint mark, and approximate grade in the title.
- A local coin dealer is the fastest way to cash out, but expect 60–70% of guide prices. Best for selling common dates in bulk.
- Graded high-value coins do best at auction houses like Heritage Auctions or Stack's Bowers, where realized prices are public.